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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Asteraceae (Sunflowers) |
| Origin: Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Synonyms: [Kleinia nerifolia] |
| Height: 4-8 feet |
| Width: 6-8 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Senecio kleinia (Berode) - A succulent sparingly branched winter growing shrub with gray bark on thick articulated (with constrictions like a sausage) stems that can grow to 6 to 10 feet tall and wide but usually seen in cultivation in the 4 to 5 foot range. It has narrow 3 to 5 inch long gray-green leaves near the branch tips that come directly on the stems without a petiole. Small whitish yellow fragrant flowers appear in later spring to summer on terminal short branched corymbs followed by white fluffy seed heads. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate infrequently if at all in California coastal gardens, though some irrigation and feeding will keep foliage lush on this dry season dormant plant. It is frost hardy to 28 °F. A strange and attractive plant that needs little care and is great when used with other dry growing succulents or winter growing shrubs. It was introduced into cultivation prior to being scientifically described by James Garret of England in 1593. It was then called the African Tree Groundsel, though it actually originated from the Canary Islands, where it grows on rocky coastal slopes. The most recent taxonomical treatment of this species has it reclassified as a Kleinia neriifolia a name it was first scientifically described as by Adrian Hardy Haworth (for whom the genus Haworthia is named) in his Synopsis Plantarum Succulentarum in 1812 but was later described as Senecio kleinia by German botanist and Asteraceae specialist Christian Friedrich Lessing in 1831 and it was under this name that this plant has long gone by. Current treatment has this plant's current name as Kleinia neriifolia, but there remains some disagreement with this treatment and we continue to list this plant as a Senecio so not to add to any confusion since many would still look for this plant as a Senecio species. Our plants are all cuttings from seedlings we grew from seed collected from a shrubby specimen growing at Santa Barbara City College.
This information is based on research conducted about this plant in our nursery library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of it in our nursery of crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we have visited. We will incorporate comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Senecio kleinia. |
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