Consulta Plantas

Care of the succulent plant Senecio kleinia or Kleinia neriifolia

The genus Senecio, family Asteraceae, comprises 1,6000 species of herbaceous succulent plants and shrubs distributed over all continents. Some species are: Senecio kleinia, Senecio cruentus, Senecio barbertonicus, Senecio angulatus, Senecio mandraliscae, Senecio stapeliiformis, Senecio serpens, Senecio elegans, Senecio bicolor, Senecio mikanioides, Senecio jacobsenii, Senecio macroglossus, Senecio scaposus, Senecio pseudolongifolius, Senecio compactus, Senecio petasitis, Senecio rowleyanus.

Common names: Canary Islands Candle Plant, Candle Plant, Mountain Grass. This species is native to Canary Islands.

They are succulent shrubs with greenish branches that reach 3 meters (9.84 feet) in height. The leaves are bluish-green in color, linear-lanceolate and appear at the end of the branches forming curious tufts; leaves sprout in fall and dry in summer. The flowers appear in umbels and are pale yellow. They bloom in autumn. They produce fruits with long hairs that are spread with the wind.

They are used as isolated specimens, in flowerbeds, to create informal hedges and in pots for terraces and patios. They are ideal for gardens by the sea.

Senecio kleinia needs full sun or light shade exposure and warm temperatures; it resists cold up to 7 ºC (44.6 ºF).

They can be grown in commercial soil for succulents or in normal garden soil with 1/3 coarse sand.

These plants need little watering in summer because they remain dormant. The rest water regularly, waiting for the soil to have almost completely dried up.

Prune lightly in spring to maintain a compact appearance.

They are plants resistant to the most common pests and diseases.

They are propagated from cuttings or from seeds that germinate within a few days.

Images of the succulent plant Senecio kleinia or Kleinia neriifolia