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Senecio serpens (Blue Chalksticks) - A small succulent that hugs the ground, branching from the base, suckering from roots and rooting along the stems. The prostrate stems hold short powdery 1 to 2 inch long blue-green finger-like fleshy leaves. Small white flowers in few flowered corymbs rise just above the foliage summer through fall.
Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Requires little water. Hardy to around 20° F. This plant is a great small-scale groundcover and while similar to the more common Senecio mandraliscae, it grows a bit tidier and lower, has smaller leaves and is far less vigorous.
This plant comes from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and was first introduced into cultivation in 1710. The name Senecio comes from the Latin word 'senex' meaning "old" or "old man" in reference to its downy head of seeds and the specific epithet means "creeping".
Senecio serpens is much smaller and slower growing than the similarly colored and far more vigorous Senecio mandraliscae. Recent treatment of this plant in the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew databases has the current name of this plant as Curio repens, but we continue to list this plant that we have grown since 1989 under its older more commonly used name for convenience and to avoid confusing our customers and staff.
Information displayed on this page about Senecio serpens is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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