What's Wrong with My String of Turtles?

String of Turtles has very fine, shallow roots packed just beneath the surface of the soil. They rot within days in waterlogged conditions, and the damage travels up the delicate trailing stems fast. A stem that was firm yesterday can turn soft and translucent overnight once rot sets in.

The small round leaves of String of Turtles store very little water compared to thicker Peperomia relatives. When the soil runs dry, the leaves shrink and pucker noticeably fast. The turtle-shell pattern still shows but the leaf surface loses its slight fullness and looks deflated.

The dark-green veining that forms the turtle-shell pattern on each leaf develops in response to bright filtered light. In dim conditions, new leaves come in pale and the contrast between the lighter base and darker veins flattens out. Leaves already formed will not recover their sharpness, but leaves grown after a move to better light will show the full pattern.

When root rot advances far enough, the trailing stems can no longer move water and nutrients to the leaves above. Leaves drop in clusters rather than one at a time, and the remaining leaves on the vine may feel limp despite damp soil. The compact, vine-like growth habit of String of Turtles means rot can affect many leaves at once.

String of Turtles is native to Brazilian rainforests and cannot tolerate cold air. A brief exposure to temperatures below 50 F, a cold draft from a window, or contact with a cold glass pane causes the delicate petioles to collapse and leaves to detach within a day or two.

Small black flies that hover at soil level and scatter when you water. The larvae live in the top inch of damp potting mix and can damage the fine, shallow roots of String of Turtles more than they would on a plant with deeper, tougher roots. Overwatered plants attract them most.

White cottony clusters tucked at the joints where leaves meet the trailing stem, or deep in the crown where new vines emerge. The many small leaf nodes along each string of this trailing Peperomia give mealybugs plenty of sheltered spots to hide and feed without being spotted.