With over 1000 species, Senecio is a very large genus of plants. To help you pick out the best one, we have chosen the Best Senecio Varieties for you!
Senecios are succulent houseplants that require minimum care. Some varieties have flowers while some have stunning leaves in different shades and hues. The plants are often grown in hanging baskets and placed in a bright spot. Here are some of the Best Senecio Varieties that you can include in your houseplant collection!
Best Senecio Varieties
Senecio is broadly classified into 5 major varieties – Cascading, Shrub, Fuzzy white, Blue ground cover, and Upright snakes. Let’s have a look at the types in each one of them.
Cascading Senecios
They are perfect for hanging baskets and look stunning with their cascading down attributes.
1. Senecio radicans
Also popular as the ‘String of bananas’ and ‘fish hooks’, it is a tough and easy to maintain plant. Does best in full sun.
2. Senecio peregrinus
The “String of dolphins” have leaves that resemble the shape of the mammal. It does best in dappled sunlight.
3. Senecio rowleyanus
“String of pearls” as it is popularly known, looks stunning with its dangling leaves. It is one of the best hanging succulents.
4. Senecio herreanus
The “String of tears” has chubby, striped leaves. You can grow it in small, colorful pots to magnify its beauty further.
5. Senecio kleiniiformis
Popular as “Spear head,” it has a winged and pointy leaves in a beautiful shade of blue.
6. Senecio macroglossus
It resembles ivy and has daisy-like flowers that pairs really well with its pointed green-yellow foliage.
7. Senecio jacobsenii
Turns into stunning shades of purple, lavender, and pink when exposed to the bright sun.
Shrub Senecios
They do great as ground plants.
8. Senecio anteuphorbium
Featuring vertical stripes and green leaves, you can grow this plant in your garden or pots, both.
9. Senecio barbertonicus
It has a bright, light green foliage that pairs really well with the clusters of yellow flowers.
10. Senecio cephalphorus
The plant attracts quite an attention with its silvery-blue leaves with red-orange, puffy flowers.
11. Senecio crassissimus
Features purple edges on bright green pointy leaves. What adds further to its look are the orange flowers.
12. Senecio decaryi
Its flat, thumb-size leaves create quite a statement. The small size of the plant makes it best for coffee tables.
Fuzzy White Senecios
Like the name, they have a white outer layer that offers them an exceptional visual appeal.
13. Senecio haworthii
With its pale white foliage, it can add a lot of appeal wherever you are going to put it. Save from overwatering.
14. Senecio scaposus ‘Silver Coral’
The outer white layer of its foliage peels away like a layer of snow, revealing light green shade of the leaves.
15. Senecio scaposus var. addoensis
It has quite an unusual foliage with pointed and flat ends. Its distinctive color will pair well with other houseplants.
Blue Ground Cover Senecios
They have gained quite a lot of popularity in the recent past, thanks to their azure leaves. When combined with colorful plants, they can be an excellent addition to your garden!
16. Senecio mandraliscae
The “Blue Chalk Sticks” is a low growing plant with tall spikes. With blue-green foliage, it creates a colorful statement.
17. Senecio serpens
An ideal pot plant, its leaves grow straight in an exotic shade of light blue to green. It is super slow growing.
Upright Snakes Senecios
Its stems have a very odd shape, sometimes resembling two sausages joined together.
18. Senecio articulatus
Also popular as the “Candle plant” it looks amazing with its blue-purple leaves.
19. Senecio stapeliiformis
Grows straight, the serrated leaves along with the pale green color match really well with the bright, red flower.
Are senecios toxic plants, especially to animals?
The Ragworts proper, Common and Oxford, which grow wild in many places, are indeed toxic to horses.
The senecio jacobsenii is NOT the correct photo. It shows an othonna capensis, aka ruby necklace. The top plant is a senecio crassissimus, aka vertical leaf senecio.