Xerosicyos Danguyi Care – Grow a Silver Dollar Succulent Plant

The Xerosicyos danguyi is an interesting-looking and easy-to-care-for succulent plant.

It is also known as Silver Dollar Vine, Silver Dollar Plant, or String of Coins. These common names refer to the round matte green leaves it grows.

Want to buy a Xerosicyos danguyi? Find it for sale on Amazon!

Xerosicyos danguyi Care

The Xerosicyos danguyi is a climbing vine succulent native to Madagascar. These evergreen plants like lots of sun, infrequent water, and low humidity.

Fun fact: the name Xerosicyos actually means dry cucumber and it is officially a relative of the cucumber. Just like the cucumber plant, the Silver dollar vine can grow long, delicate tendrils to hold onto things (nearby plants or a stake or trellis) to support the weight of the vines.

Related reading: Beginners Guide to Succulent Care.

Light Requirements

Silver Dollar plants like lots of light. Indoors they do best in a sunny window with a few hours of morning sun and bright indirect light the rest of the day. 

Avoid too much direct sunlight. Dry, brown spots on the leaves can be a sign of sunburn. Move your plant further away from the window, or filter the light with a sheer curtain.    

Watering

Like most succulents, the Xerosicyos danguyi stores water in its leaves. In its native habitat, it goes through long dry spells followed by heavy rainfall. Mimicking this at home, there is no need for frequent watering. 

To prevent overwatering, let the soil dry out between waterings. Then water thoroughly and saturate all of the soil. Make sure the pot has drainage holes and allow all excess water to drain out of the bottom.

To make sure your silver Dollar succulent is getting a good soak, you can also water from the bottom. 

Frequent overwatering can lead to yellow leaves dropping off and root rot problems. If roots rot, they lose the ability to absorb water and can’t supply any water to the plant. 

If leaves feel thin and start to wrinkle your plant is underwatered and needs a drink. Note: new leaves will always start thin before they mature and fill out.

You can buy a moisture meter to help you out with when to water. And read my post on How to water indoor succulents for a quick watering refresher. 

Dormancy

Indoors Xerosicyos danguyi can be a slow-growing plant. Especially in winter, it might seem it is not growing at all. As a winter dormant plant, it can go stretches of almost a year of not growing, and then when spring comes, starts to shoot up new stems.

Water very sparingly during dormancy. Water it just enough to make sure the leaves don’t shrivel up completely. 

Fertilizing

Silver dollar plants don’t need a lot of fertilizer. You can fertilize once or twice during spring/summer with a diluted succulent fertilizer to supplement poor soil or give your plant a boost at the start of the growing season.

Humidity

Xerosicyos danguyi plants are not very needy when it comes to humidity levels. These plants can grow in average household humidity – no need for misting or humidifiers. 

Xerosicyos Danguyi Propagation

Propagating the Silver dollar plant is easy, but does take some time. Be patient, it can take a few weeks for roots to grow.

Propagate Stem Cuttings in Water or Soil

Take healthy stem cuttings with at least a few sets of leaves. Remove the bottom leaves and let the cuttings dry and callus over for about 2-3 days. 

To water propagate the cutting, place it in just enough water to cover the bottom part. Keep it in bright, indirect light, and change the water regularly. Wait for roots to appear. Pot them up when the roots are at least an inch long.

To propagate your silver dollar plant cuttings in soil, you skip the water part and root them directly in soil. 

For a higher success rate, apply a little rooting hormone powder to the end of the stem before planting it. This powder stimulates the formation of roots and results in stronger, better-rooted plants. If you don’t have any, you can skip it. It might just take a little longer.

Once your cutting is in soil, hold off from watering or water just very, very lightly until you see signs of growth.

Propagating from Single Leaves

The question comes up a lot if you can grow a new plant from a single Silver dollar plant leaf.

I have heard stories of people who said they did it. But I have never seen it done successfully. Yes, the leaf may grow roots, but it needs part of the stem with a node to grow new stems.

If you do want to try it, take a healthy, new leaf with the stalk attached. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

Want to learn more about plant propagation? Read my guide explaining the ways to propagate your plants. 

Plant Pests

Pests are rarely a problem for indoor Xerosicyos danguyi plants. Nevertheless, it can be affected by common household pests. Do watch out for mealybugs and aphids. Inspect your plant regularly for signs of pests to catch a possible infestation before it becomes severe.

Learn more about common houseplant pests and what you can do to get rid of them. 

Is Xerosicyos Danguyi Toxic to Cats?

Unfortunately, the Xerosicyos danguyi is considered mildly toxic. It may cause stomach aches along with vomiting.

Although it is very rare for pets to get seriously hurt from eating plants, keep this one out of reach of children and pets. 

Want more round leaf houseplants? Check out these stunning plants!