Mature size & growth rate

How big does String of Buttons (Crassula perforata) get?

Also called String of Buttons, Necklace Vine, Pagoda Plant, Stacked Crassula.

More about string of buttons

About String of Buttons

Crassula perforata · also called String of Buttons, Necklace Vine · houseplant

String of buttons is an easy, fast-growing South African succulent whose triangular leaves stack in pairs along square stems, trailing with age. Give it bright direct light, gritty fast-draining soil, and water only when bone dry. Not pet-safe: as a Crassula (jade relative) it is best treated as mildly toxic.

Mature size: About 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) tall and spreading 60-90 cm (2-3 ft) wide; individual trailing stems can hang well over 30 cm.

Watch for — Mealybugs: White cottony clusters in leaf joints are the most frequent pest. Dab with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, or treat with insecticidal soap or neem; isolate the plant and inspect new growth and roots.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

String of Buttons does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims. Indoors and in a pot, expect about 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) tall and spreading 60-90 cm (2-3 ft) wide. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — individual trailing stems can hang well over 30 cm. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Growth rate and years to mature

String of Buttons is a fast grower. Realistically, expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Its feeding profile backs this up: light feeder. apply a balanced or low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during spring and summer. do not feed in autumn or winter, or while the plant is stressed; over-feeding causes weak, leggy growth.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the string of buttons repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast string of buttons grows.

How to keep string of buttons smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For string of buttons specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — string of buttons takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut.
Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser.
The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants.
Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Decide the length you want. Pick the point each vine of string of buttons should stop — you can be aggressive; it regrows readily.
Cut just above a node. Snip about 0.5 cm above a leaf node so the stem branches there instead of dying back.
Root the cuttings. Drop the trimmed pieces in water or mix — they root in 2-4 weeks and can fill the same pot for a bushier look.
Repeat as it runs. Re-trim whenever it overshoots; regular light pruning keeps it both smaller and fuller.

How to grow string of buttons bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for string of buttons the accelerators are:

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth.
Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing.
Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The string of buttons light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When string of buttons outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for string of buttons:

Vines pooling on the floor or wrapping past where you want them — purely a trimming cue, not a repot one.
Bare, leggy stems with leaves only at the tips (usually a light problem, not a size one).
A tangled mass that has outrun its support and needs cutting back and re-training.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the string of buttons repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the string of buttons propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

String of Buttons size — frequently asked questions

How big does string of buttons get?

String of Buttons reaches about 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) tall and spreading 60-90 cm (2-3 ft) wide when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (individual trailing stems can hang well over 30 cm.). Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Is string of buttons slow or fast growing?

String of Buttons is a fast grower. Expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. String of Buttons does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims.

How long does string of buttons take to reach full size?

Roughly one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep string of buttons smaller?

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — string of buttons takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut. Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser. The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants. Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

How can I make string of buttons grow bigger or faster?

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth. Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing. Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.