Care of the succulent plant Senecio stapeliiformis or Pickle plant |
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The genus Senecio, family Asteraceae, comprises 1,6000 species of herbaceous succulent plants and shrubs distributed over all continents. Some species are: Senecio stapeliiformis, Senecio serpens, Senecio rowleyanus, Senecio petasitis, Senecio mikanioides, Senecio mandraliscae, Senecio kleinia, Senecio cruentus, Senecio barbertonicus, Senecio angulatus, Senecio elegans, Senecio bicolor, Senecio jacobsenii, Senecio macroglossus, Senecio scaposus, Senecio pseudolongifolius, Senecio compactus. Common names: Pickle plant, Candle Plant, Pickle Plant, Candle Stick, Stapelia Stemmed Senecio, Groundsel, Belisha Beacon Plant, Spider Plant. This species is native to Southern and Eastern Africa. They are curious succulent plants with erect and branched stems that reach 30 cm (11.8") in height. The stems have 5-7 ribs and are green and gray with longitudinal dark lines and tiny scale-like leaves. The red flowers are very showy and persistent. They bloom in late summer and early fall. They are used in pots and planters for patios and terraces, as indoor and greenhouse plants or in rockeries and in cactus and succulent gardens. Senecio stapeliformis needs full sun or bright light exposure without direct sun (indoors). The winter temperature should not be lower than 8 ºC (46.4 ºF). They grow well in sandy soils; use a mixture of 60% siliceous sand and 40% leaf mulch. Water very little in summer because it's the time of rest and moderately the rest of the year, always waiting for the soil to be dry. They do not need fertilizers. Prune withered flowers. The biggest danger to these plants is excess moisture that can rot the stems and roots. They are propagated from seeds sown in the spring in the nursery or from stem cuttings in the summer or spring. |
Images of the succulent plant Senecio stapeliiformis or Pickle plant |
 Senecio stapeliiformis  Senecio stapeliiformis  Senecio stapeliiformis |