There are roughly 100 succulents utilized as garden plants in warmer climates and as container-grown plants in other locations in the broad Senecio genus of over 1,000 species. Many trailing plants are utilized as spreading groundcovers or in hanging baskets, although some are big shrub forms. Additionally, upright species exist.
The shape of the leaves can vary greatly, and they might be rich green, bluish, or even striped. Some are upright, some are spherical, and some are shaped like bananas. The flowers, which grow in clusters on long stems and last for weeks, range from scarlet or white spires to yellow daisy-like flowers. However, the majority of gardeners are drawn to the leaves.
Before the new growing phase begins in the early fall, is the ideal time to plant Senecio.
Are Senecio spp. all succulents?
Within the Senecio genus of the Asteraceae family of flowers, there are over 1,000 annual and perennial plants, 10% of which are succulents. Some of the most well-known succulent plants in the Senecio genus were transferred to Curio in 1997. These days, both genus names are used to refer to numerous Senecio plants.
A succulent, is Senecio angel wings?
A border or container will shine with the silvery-white, spectacular foliage of the succulent Angel Wings. Once established, it can thrive outside or indoors as a house plant and is resistant to drought. In zones 8 and higher, it is a perennial, but in colder locations, it must be overwintered inside. The blossoms can be cut back to encourage more basal leaf growth because they are not particularly ornamentally noteworthy.
Angel Wings require a soil that drains well, has low to moderate moisture levels, and receives full sun to part shade. Allow the soil to dry out in between waterings indoors during the winter. Every year, fertilize in the spring.
Senecio anteuphorbium
Senecio anteuphorbium is a summer-dormant suberect or scrambling deciduous shrub that can reach heights and widths of 90 to 250 cm, occasionally producing ragged thickets. With plantings dating back to roughly 1570, this plant was one of the first succulents to be grown in Europe.
Senecio articulatus
Senecio articulatus is a type of deciduous succulent that grows in clumps that are between 22 and 40 cm tall and 30 cm or wider. They spread by tubers that act as an underground scaffolding and anchoring mechanism. For a portion of the year, the plant has no leaves.
Senecio barbertonicus
Senecio barbertonicus is a tightly leafed succulent shrub that bears dense tufts of bristly seeds and clusters of sweetly scented, golden yellow tufted flower heads in the winter. It is named after one of its native localities, Barberton. The plant’s finger-like leaves that point upward along the branches, however, are its most appealing characteristic. It is one among the most widespread and least specialized finger-leaved Senecios.
Senecio cedrorum
Senecio cedrorum is a 50–60 cm tall glabrous glaucous evergreen subshrub. The leaves may be turned on edge and flattened laterally to the point where they seem vertical. The leaves have deeper green veins and are glabrous in color.
Senecio citriformis
Senecio citriformis is a stunning and unusual scrambling succulent with little, spindle-shaped leaves that resemble the outline of a lemon. The bloom on the leaves is waxy and grey-green with clear veins. From late summer to early winter, it produces little clusters of whitish flowers.
Senecio crassissimus
Senecio crassissimus, also known as “Vertical Leaf Senecio” or “Propeller Plant,” is an evergreen leaf-succulent subshrub that is 40 cm in width and 45–80 cm in height. It has vertical rows of purple-rimmed, flattened, fleshy leaves that are silver-grey in color. From mid-summer to autumn, thick, upright stems bear beautiful yellow, daisy-like flowers at the tips. The most distinguishing characteristic is the huge leaves that appear to be twisted on edge.
Senecio ficoides
Senecio ficoides is a little evergreen, pruinose, succulent shrublet that grows to a height of one meter or more. With its highly tapering, succulent leaves that have a grey waxy bloom on their surfaces, it is one of the most attractive plants. On the extremities of the branches, little clusters of cream-colored flower heads are produced.
Since 1702, it has been grown extensively, is tasty, and has recently gained value as a grafting stock for other succulent senecios. Senecio ficoides is a widely widespread species with numerous local variations, but its leaves, which are consistently higher than wide, set it apart from the group that includes Senecio talinoides.
Senecio fulgens
Senecio fulgens, often referred to as Kleinia fulgens, is a somewhat attractive herbaceous perennial subshrub that grows to a height of 60 cm and has an abundance of reddish blooms. The vivid orange-red flower heads have a thistle-like appearance. The stem and succulent leaves have the appearance of being spirally organized, while the succulent roots are tuberous and elongated. Plants are completely hairless and covered in a glaucous bloom that is a light green color.
Senecio haworthii
The perennial dwarf shrub Senecio haworthii, popularly known as Woolly Senecio, has succulent stems and leaves that are coated in tightly woven white felt. It is known in cultivation as Kleinia tomentosa and is arguably the most attractive plant in the genus. When well-tended and kept under glass with little moisture, leaves have the appearance of being completely white.
Senecio herreianus
Senecio herreianus, formerly known as Kleinia gomphophylla, is a common hanging plant with long, drooping sprout axils bearing oval, pointy, bead-like leaves. It shares the same common names as the more widespread Senecio rowleyanus. The leaves are more glaucous, longer, less spherical, and elongate (like spindles). The stems are more erect, stronger, and thicker. As they creep into the dirt, the evenly spaced leaves create what appears to be an endless chain of pearls. The white feather-duster flowers resemble each other a lot as well.
Senecio jacobsenii
Senecio jacobsenii, also known as “Trailing Jade” or “Weeping Jade,” is a glabrous, perennial, leaf-succulent creeper with flat, overlapping leaves that are greenish pink and maroon in color, along with green stems, and beautiful orange blossoms in the late summer and early fall. There is still disagreement over the true naming of this plant, which has also been known by the names Kleinia petraea and Notoniopsis petraea.
Senecio kleinia
Senecio kleinia, also known as Kleinia neriifolia, is a very common plant. Its twisted branches and tufts of blue-green leaves resemble those of a small dragon tree (Dracena draco). Despite eventually growing to heights of several meters, this plant can produce medium-sized specimens in pots. Although they can also be thinner, the lengthy leaves frequently resemble those of oleander. Kleinia neriifolia f. ovalifolia G. Kunkel has been used to describe the broad-leaved variation from Lanza-rote and Gomera.
Senecio kleiniiformis
Senecio kleiniiformis, also known as Spearhead, is a slow-growing succulent with fleshy leaves that are essentially three-sided and somewhat resemble the point of a spear or an arrow. The species can vary; in certain cases, the leaves may be spoon-shaped and shorter. In the late summer and early fall, it produces many, unattractive pale yellow blooms.
Senecio longiflorus
A perennial plant with many branches in the Asteraceae family is called Senecio longiflorus (Daisy). It resembles a Euphorbia in appearance thanks to its very succulent blue-green stems that grow in an upright upright fashion to heights of 30-70 cm, although they can reach as high as 1.8 meters. However, the absence of milky sap quickly distinguishes it from that genus. For the majority of the year, it is usually leafless or nearly so.
It was formerly classified as a Kleinia but was later moved to the huge, globally distributed Senecio genus, which has likely more than 2,000 species with a remarkably diverse range of habitats. If Kleinia were acknowledged as a separate genus, Senecio longiflorus is a typical illustration of a species that would be placed in the genus. Its inflorescence is a capitulum that is either light yellow or cream in color (apparently a single flower, actually several …).
The bushes’ tufts of long white hairs when they are in seed make them stand out in the landscape. Senecio longiflorus, the nominate form, Senecio longiflorus ssp. scottii, and Senecio longiflorus subs. madagascariensis are all recognized subspecies of this highly varied plant.
Senecio oxyriifolius
Senecio oxyriifolius is a glabrous deciduous perennial herb that grows to a height of 40–110 cm. Its single, tall flower stalk is produced by a creeping, horizontal, fleshy, or woody tuberous rootstock. The leaves have a thin, up to 150 mm-long stalk and are succulent, hairless, and nearly spherical. Instead of the margin, the lower surface of the blade is frequently used to secure it to the stalk. The margin might vary, but is typically more or less coarsely serrated. Few to numerous, discoid, in panicles, and growing on lengthy, smooth stalks are the flowers (capitula). has just disc florets, which are bright yellow (occasionally there are one or two ray florets). This species’ leaves exhibit a wide range of variations.
Senecio pendulus
Senecio pendulus, a creeping succulent that resembles a cactus and is a member of the sunflower family, has colorful green stems and spectacular red blossoms. Its gorgeously marbled grey-green stems arch over and touch the ground, where they take root and produce new stems. It has long been a favorite in succulent collections because it reminds people of moth caterpillars that wander with arched backs. Strong light typically causes stems to turn purple.
Senecio radicans
Senecio radicans, sometimes referred to as String of Bananas or Fish Hooks Senecio, is a common hanging plant that grows in the form of a waterfall of thin, flexible stems encircled by curved, blue-green, banana-shaped leaves. Although it resembles the more popular String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus), the leaves of this plant are bigger, more elongate (formed like a banana), glossy, alternately arranged, and have a delicate branching pattern. The stems are more upright and thicker. As they creep into the earth, the evenly spaced leaves create what appears to be an endless chain of green “bananas”. The rayless flower heads in white and mauve are comparable. Although it is common and very variable, it is difficult to separate into subspecies.
Senecio rowleyanus
Senecio rowleyanus, also called “String of Beads,” is a peculiar-looking succulent plant with thin, wiry stems that carry pea-, pearl-, or bead-shaped leaves along their whole lengths. When grown in hanging baskets or on sunny windowsills, it quickly gathers into dense bunches with thin stems dangling over the edge of the pot. There are varieties with different colors.
Senecio scaposus
Senecio scaposus is a small perennial succulent with a height and width of up to 30 cm with no stems or almost no stems. Large mats of groundcover that are cespitose in habitat or surculose-spreading.
Senecio scaposus var. addoensis
Typically, the spindle-shaped leaves of Senecio scaposus are clothed in a velvety white tomentum. The leaf-tips of the addoensis variation are frequently flattened, crimped, or lobed, giving them the form of a triangular-pointed spoon. Young leaves have a white to silvery felted covering called a tomentum that lets the leaf’s green color peek through. As they age, the silvery covering could fall off. This felted covering reflects sunlight to keep the plant from overheating or burning and serves as an adaptation to the arid circumstances in which it develops. It eventually grows into a little cluster.
Senecio stapeliiformis
Senecio stapeliiformis, also known as Senecio Stapeliaeformis or stapeliformis, is a pretty species of succulent with pencil-like stems that are attractively marked with purple-green patterns and soft spines along the sides. The entire plant resembles a Stapelia in form, hence the name, but it also has a large orange flower that resembles hawkweed. To become upright, underground shoots emerge.
Senecio talinoides
Senecio talinoides is an evergreen perennial semi-trailing succulent shrub with leaves that are inclined upward from the ground. It can grow up to 40 cm tall and 60 (or more) cm broad. This species develops a varied complex that makes it difficult to distinguish between the various subspecies and forms. The majority of these forms have a distinct juvenile phase with short branches and small leaves that resemble those of Senecio citriformis. The nominate subspecies, subspecies aizoides, chordifolius, cylindricus, and subspecies mandraliscae are currently accepted as the five subspecies. The subsp. talinoides has a finer texture but is similar to Senecio talinoides subsp. mandraliscae.
Senecio talinoides subs. cylindricus
Senecio talinoides subs. cylindricus, often known as the Narrow-Leaf Chalkstick, is a low-growing, glabrous, pruinose, evergreen succulent shrub that grows 45–60 cm tall and spreads 90–150 cm wide. It differs from the common Senecio talinoides by having leaves that are grey-green, tubular, slender, somewhat upcurved, and crowded at the terminals of the stems. It has semi-prostrate stems that turn upright. In corymbs, the tiny rayless pale cream flowers bloom from late spring to early summer. Senecio cylindricus is a common name for this plant, although it is actually a subspecies of Senecio talinoides, along with the more squat and slower-growing but related Senecio mandraliscae. Senecio vitalis is another name for it.
Senecio talinoides subs. mandraliscae
The blue chalk sticks, Senecio talinoides subs. mandraliscae, are a puzzling species that are likely hybrids. They may be recognized from Senecio talinoides by their juvenile stage, which is characterized by short branches and leaves that are 5-8 times longer than wide and subsequently elongate. The waxy white coating of this bluest of the “talinoides” shields it from hot, sunny, and dry weather.
Light
To truly thrive inside, succulents, like the majority of plants, require some sun or bright light. Many of the commercial types can thrive with less light, however this leads to slowed or no development.
Watering
Senecio plants prefer watering rather frequently, unlike other succulents. Further water is used by many plants growing in a pot than by a single plant (see “anything else” below for more information). However, if given too much water or allowed to fester in damp, low-light settings, they will quickly decay. Generally speaking, it is better to wait until the soil has slightly dried out than to keep it consistently moist.
As a general rule, if your plant is growing in a sunny, warm place, you should water it every 7 to 10 days throughout the spring, summer, and early fall. In the winter, once every three to four weeks is probably plenty.
Humidity
Senecio succulent plants do not require increased humidity in a typical home or workplace because they are evolved to dry, arid environments. If the humidity is very high for whatever reason, you can even experience issues because this can encourage dampness, which can lead to rotting and the strings on your String of Pearls plant coming apart and rolling away.
Senecios are succulent houseplants, so they do require more water than other succulents do, but you still need to be careful not to overwater them.
Feeding
The optimum fertilizer is made for cacti and succulents, but you may also use regular houseplant food. Make sure you just dilute it by roughly half of what is advised in the directions. During the growing seasons, around once every two months will be sufficient to keep your Senecio happy and healthy.
Repotting
Only when the container is overcrowded and there is little room for your plant to grow do you need to repot your Senecio. Regardless, it’s a good idea to switch up the soil every three years because by then the soil has probably degraded and is probably no longer storing the nutrients your plant needs or absorbing enough water. When you finally get around to doing it, make sure you use a free draining growing medium. You can either buy one already produced or combine regular compost with some grit, perlite, or sharp sand, for example.
Propagation
Any succulent Senecio can be easily multiplied through its stems or even through its leaves. Plants can be grown more quickly from stems that still have some of their leaves attached. Simply keep them warm and the soil just damp, press the stem into the growing media far enough in to let it to stay there, and they should root quickly.
If you’re only utilizing the leaves, you should pot them up in the same manner after letting the exposed end dry for a day. As previously noted, this method requires more time, but you should still see new growth within a few weeks.
Height / Spread
There are numerous types, and each one has unique growing characteristics. While String of Pearls (S. rowleyanus) and String of Bananas (S. radicans) are quite short but can spread out considerably, some, like S. aquarine, will be upright and quite slender growing up to 50cm / 20in.
Flowers
People like these plants because of their leaf form and growth pattern, but they also frequently produce a flush of tiny white flowers with vibrant stamens throughout the year. They don’t put on a lot of show, and the odor they occasionally emit isn’t usually extremely aromatic.
Are Senecio’s Poisonous?
Most animals, including cats and dogs, as well as people, are slightly poisoned by these plants. Even while consuming the plant or getting sap on the skin is probably only going to result in minor consequences, caution should still be made to keep them away from curious animals or young children, particularly because the distinctive shape of the leaves might be enticing.
Anything Else
When grown in close clusters, most succulent Senecio typically have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The String of Pearls and the String of Bananas are excellent examples of this. If grown alone, the individual plants might appear extremely spindly as they often only have one or two stems.
When purchasing from a store, you will frequently find numerous individual plants growing together to give the appearance of a more “full” appearance because they almost always look better clustered. This is totally OK for your plant, or plants, but keep in mind that clustered Senecios will require a little bit more water and food.