Project Description
Senecio serpens
“Blue Chalksticks”
This succulent is perfect for container gardens. If you live in an area that doesn’t experience freezing temperatures, this makes a great ground cover. When exposed to lots of sun and heat, the tips of this plant turn purple.
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Quick Look:
Plant in full sun
Not suited for indoor growing
Typical water needs for a succulent
Grows up to 36″ tall (30 cm to 91 cm) tall, and can spread out to 36″ wide (61 cm to 91 cm)
Zone 9a (Minimum 20° F | -6° C)
Not cold hardy
Propagate from seeds or cuttings
Can be toxic to pets and humans
Actively grows during Spring and Fall
Also available from: Etsy
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Care and Propagation Information
General Care for Senecio serpens “Blue Chalksticks”
Blue Chalksticks are perfect for container gardens, or use as a ground cover. Expect small white flowers in the summer months.
They should be planted in well-draining soil, and watered only when the soil is completely dry. They are also deer and rabbit resistant.
Fertilizing
You can fertilize “Chalksticks” once a year, but if you are growing them indoors, be sure they are getting plenty of sunlight. Too little and the plant can stretch.
Dormancy
Chalksticks grow more actively during warmer months. If your succulents are planted in containers and do not live in a warmer zone, bring them inside until the weather warms up again.
Pairs Well With
Chalksticks pair well with Aeoniums
How to Propagate Senecio serpens “Blue Chalksticks”
Blue Chalksticks can be propagated by cuttings or seeds.
Cuttings
To grow Chalksticks from cuttings, use a sterile, sharp knife or pair of scissors. Remove a leaf from the main plant, and allow it to callous for several days before placing on well-draining soil. Water whenever the soil has dried out completely.
Seeds
When growing Senecio serpens from seed, be sure that the temperature is warmer, or you are using a grow light and seed warmer. Sow seeds in well-draining soil, watering whenever the soil is dry. Germination can take several weeks or longer, depending on your growing environment.
Helpful Information
If you are creating a fire-resistant landscape, Senecio serpens is a great succulent to consider.
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From readers like you…
Mine is taking over this arrangement! I’ll need to re-pot it. It’s definitely one of my faster growing succulents.
Mine hasn’t taken over… Maybe because I have it pretty shaded, but it’s a pretty hardy little guy!
Just got a little baby a few weeks ago! It’s in an arrangement with a few others purchased at the same time.
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I bought a lot of succulents from California a couple years ago not knowing much about most. I included the Blue Chalksticks in a arrangement and it went crazy, hanging out of the pot and growing upward to the sunlight. I recently took it out and potted seperately and feel I should chop it off and try to root the cuttings? Appreciate your imput. Thanks ( I wasn’t able to post a picture, not sure how to do )
You can definitely propagate Chalksticks from cuttings! Just be sure to let them callous over for a couple of days before planting.
Hi, I have a potted succulent garden (one of the arrangements you can get at Lowe’s) and one of the varieties it contains is Senecio serpens. Recently the stalks developed a papery coating (almost the consistency of face tissue or a little softer, like tissue paper). I’m wondering what this is, if it’s healthy and I should leave it alone, or if I need to do something different. I’m watering the pot about once a week but waiting for the soil to dry out in between as recommended, and checking it with a chopstick to see how moist it is. It gets indirect light a few hours a day and is otherwise shaded.
It’s normal for your Senecio serpens to have a white film/powder on the leaves, and it does not need to be removed. If it looks more like a cobweb, this is a sign of mealy bugs.
It would be great if language or language option will be added to this website
Thanks for the suggestion! In the meantime, translate.google.com should help translate into whatever language you’d like.
I water my succulent only when the soil is completely dry and it’s outside getting sun. Yet there are wrinkles on the leaves. What should I do?
It may need more water. Are you using the “soak and dry” method?
What would be eatting the leaves of the blue senecio down to its stalk? Came out one morning all that was left was the stalk of the plant… 🙁
I have had something similar happen to one of my aeoniums in a different area of the garden.
Hmm, something is definitely finding them delicious! It’s really difficult to say what could be eating them, though. I recommend posting pictures in our Facebook Group – we have many members who’ve had similar issues who have been able to get help there!
My chalksticks main srem is very tall and dropping. Is it possible to cut off the top of the main stem?1
Yes, you should be able to do that! Just let the cutting dry out for a day or two before replanting.