Propeller Plant
Location
Cactus & Succulent Garden
- Common Name: Propeller Plant
- Scientific Name: Senecio crassissimus
- Family Name: Asteraceae
- Origin: Madagascar
- Height: 1 to 2 ft
- Width: 1 to 1.5 ft
- Growth: Moderate
- Zone: USDA Zones 10 through 11
- Light needs: Full sun to part shade.
- Salt tolerance: Low
- Soil/pH/Texture: Grows in sandy, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
- Moisture: Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
- Drought tolerance: High
- Pests/Diseases: Aphids, mealybugs, and overwatering issues such as root rot.
- Growing conditions: Grow in a sunny, warm area with well-drained soil. Water sparingly, as overwatering this plant will cause it to become mushy and lose turgidity. In warmer climates, it grows as a perennial, and its growth season is in winter as opposed to other plants. In colder climates, it will need to be brought indoors when temperatures drop.
- Characteristics: This succulent plant has several fleshy, blue-green stems which fade to purple at the tips. Leaves are thick and elliptical and grow alternately along the stem; new leaves are purple, and older leaves retain purple margins. Flowers grow on a bright green peduncle which looks somewhat out of place among the blue-green foliage. The composite flowers have around 7 or 8 yellow ray florets surrounding the yellow center.
- Propagation: By seed or by cuttings.
- Wildlife: The flowers are attractive to insect pollinators.
- Facts: Propeller plants adapt to their hot and sunny environment by orienting their leaves such that none directly faces the sun, thereby reducing water loss.
- Designer considerations: Propeller plants fit well in a mixed succulent garden or container, especially when paired with aloe and other long-leafed succulents.
