String of Nickels (String of Coins) care

Light

String of Nickels is what florists mean by "bright spot, no direct sun" — close enough to a south or east window to feel the brightness, with a sheer curtain or a few feet of distance keeping the sun off the leaves. Thrives in bright, indirect light, such as an east- or north-facing window. Harsh direct sun scorches the delicate coin-shaped leaves, causing yellowing and crispy patches. A phone lux-meter at the leaf surface should read 1,500-3,000 lux at noon.

Watering

Water string of nickels when top of mix dries out. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Water thoroughly once the top inch of the mix feels dry, then let excess drain fully; as an epiphyte it hates wet feet and rots easily if waterlogged. Reduce watering in winter when growth slows.

Soil and pot

String of Nickels grows best in airy, fast-draining epiphytic mix. Use a very loose, well-aerated medium such as orchid bark, sphagnum moss, coco coir, or a cactus/succulent mix amended with perlite. A standard dense potting soil holds too much moisture and suffocates the roots. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

String of Nickels sits happiest at around 50-70% humidity and 16-29°C (61-85°F). Loves high humidity and absorbs moisture through its leaves, so it does well in bathrooms, kitchens, or near a pebble tray or humidifier. If you keep the room above 16 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed string of nickels sparingly. Feed with a balanced, diluted houseplant fertiliser roughly every fourth watering during spring and summer. Cut back to every sixth watering, or stop entirely, through autumn and winter. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on string of nickels in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Root and leaf rot — Caused by overwatering or a dense, moisture-retentive mix that keeps the epiphytic roots wet.
• Leaf scorch — Too much direct sun bleaches or browns the coin-shaped leaves.
• Shrivelled, thin leaves — Underwatering or air that is too dry, since the plant draws moisture through its foliage.
• Bare, leggy stems — Insufficient light makes lower leaves drop and stems stretch toward the light source.
• Mealybugs and scale — Sap-sucking pests hide along stems and leaf joints, especially in warm, dry indoor air.
• Spider mites — Low humidity encourages mites that cause stippling and fine webbing on the foliage.

Propagation

Propagate from stem cuttings with at least two nodes taken in spring or summer; root them in water, damp sphagnum moss, or a light epiphytic mix. Keep warm and humid and expect roots within about three to four weeks. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

String of Nickels is mildly toxic to pets. Dischidia is NOT listed in the ASPCA toxic or non-toxic plant database, so pet safety cannot be confirmed there. NC State Extension flags the genus (Dischidia ovata) as low-severity poison whose milky sap may cause mouth burning, vomiting, and diarrhoea in pets plus skin irritation, so treat as mildly toxic and keep away from pets and children pending veterinary advice. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

String of Nickels deep-dive guides

Every aspect of string of nickels care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• String of Nickels watering schedule
• String of Nickels light requirements
• Best soil mix for string of nickels
• String of Nickels fertilizing guide
• When to repot string of nickels
• How to propagate string of nickels
• String of Nickels growth rate & size
• String of Nickels cold hardiness
• String of Nickels temperature & humidity
• Is string of nickels toxic to cats & dogs?

Related guides

String of Nickels is also known as String of Coins, String of Buttons, Button Orchid, and Coin-leaf Dischidia.

• Snake plant care — light, water and common problems
• Dracaena care — light, water and common problems
• Peperomia care — light, water and common problems
• All 389 plant care guides in the Growli library