A conspicuous, spreading, succulent shrub, with striking, large, bluish grey-green, elongated, flattish, succulent leaves, with a resinous smell when damaged. Known from the eastern Klein Karoo and Eastern Cape, growing on steep exposed mountain slopes and cliffs. Easily grown from cuttings, and best for dry warm gardens.

The succulent nature enables the plant to survive periods of severe drought when the leaves becomes very thin, only to revive after a rain shower.

As with many associated succulents, reclining branches which become detached, will root spontaneously when favourable conditions prevail (passive resistance).

Plants are easily propagated by stem cuttings and its leaves can be rooted and new plants grown. Cuttings can be grown throughout the year where winters are not too severe. Cuttings of various length root rapidly in sand or even planted in situ. Plants are fast growing and will soon form shrubs.

Leaves and stems covered with a powdery bloom resulting in the attractive bluish to grey-green colour. The leaves are alternately arranged, about 5–20 mm apart, linear, sickle-shaped (falcate), tapering at both ends, ascending to ascending-spreading, about 80–150 mm (up to 210 mm) long, flattened (laterally compressed), 6–12 mm thick, to almost rounded 8–20 mm broad, and striated lengthwise, ending in a stiff, sharp point. The stripes are somewhat translucent. The basal stripe and upper stripe sometimes up to 1 mm wide, translucent.

Curio ficoides is related to C. talinoides and C. crassulifolius. It is easily distinguished by its much more robust growth and flat, sickle-shaped leaves. C. talinoides has thin, terete, densely arranged softer leaves, and C. crassulifolius is a much smaller plant, without the reclining habit and with ascending terete leaves.

The flowers are inconspicuous, produced at the ends of the branches, in subcorymbs with v-shaped branching, 100–180 mm long; the flowering stalk terete, 3–4 mm in diameter, the bracts narrow, 10–20 mm long at the base, becoming smaller upwards, 5–6 mm long. The capitula (composite flowers) about 6–12, each 12–15 mm long and 4–5 mm in diameter, rounded at the top (in full flower); ray florets absent; disc florets 9–12, white, the corolla lobes recurved; style and stigmas protruding, 2–3 mm, brownish purple.

Flowering is from autumn to winter, but sometimes at any time of the year.