Senecio kleinia, more commonly known as Canary Islands Candle Plant; Candle Plant, and Mountain Grass!
Native to the Canary Islands – but grows readily here on the Costa Blanca.
They are succulent shrubs with greenish branches reaching three metres in height.
The leaves are bluish green in colour, with linear lanceolate, that appear at the end of the branches forming curious tufts, with leaves sprouting in the autumn and drying out in summer.
Flowers appear in umbels in autumn and are pale yellow in colour. They then produce fruits, with long hairs that are spread by the wind.
Ideal for gardens by the sea and can be used to create a hedge – and in pots for terraces and patios.
They require full sun or light shade exposure and warm temperatures, needing little watering in summer because this is when they are dormant. However, the remaining months water regularly, having waited for the soil to have almost completely dried up.
Simply prune lightly in spring to maintain a compact appearance.
Easy to propagate from cuttings or from seeds, that will germinate within a few days.
