A suture having a coating thereon of an ethylene-propylene copolymer, and a method of coating a suture which comprises the steps of coating the surface of the suture with an effective amount of a solution of ethylene-propylene copolymer in an organic solvent, and then removing the solvent from the coated suture. The copolymer preferably has an average molecular weight of from about 25,000 to about 500,000 g/mole, and a mole percentage of about 55 to 70 percent ethylene and about 30 to 45 percent propylene. The coating provides an alternative to silicone, which has previously been used as a coating for sutures, and exhibits excellent performance properties, such as tactile smoothness, pliability, and knot tiedown performance.