Senecio candicans DC. is a semi-succulent rosette perennial from southern Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. It is the parent of the widely sold 'Angel Wings' cultivar, but the species itself is also occasionally cultivated under its scientific name, particularly by collectors interested in the wild form rather than the selected cultivar.
Native habitat is cool coastal scrub and beach strandline from around 45 °S southward, where plants grow in free-draining sand and gravel under near-constant wind. Part of the Complete Senecio Guide.
Identification
- Low rosette-forming perennial, 20–30 cm tall at flowering.
- Leaves broad, obovate to oblong-lanceolate, 8–15 cm long, densely covered in white tomentum on both surfaces. In the wild the leaves are smaller and more lanceolate than in the 'Angel Wings' selection.
- Flower heads cream to pale yellow, in loose branched corymbs; ray florets usually absent or vestigial.
- Short fleshy caudex at the base, from which the rosette emerges.
Distinguished from 'Angel Wings' by slightly narrower leaves and a more open rosette; the two plants are intergrades along a continuous range of leaf form. Distinguished from S. cineraria by the entire (not deeply cut) leaf margins.
Cultivation
Cool-climate cultivation. Where it diverges from the pillar:
- Light. Full sun or bright open exposure. Scorches in hot inland sun behind glass; thrives outdoors in cool coastal light.
- Temperature. Prefers cool summers (15–22 °C). Poor performance in prolonged heat above 28 °C.
- Cold. Hardy to approximately −7 °C briefly. A reliable silver perennial for mild-temperate coastal gardens.
- Water. Moderate. Not a drought-lover; the roots need steady moisture during the growing season. Weekly watering in summer, sparing in winter.
- Substrate. Free-draining but with enough organic content to hold moisture. Sandy loam amended with grit rather than a pure mineral mix.
- Overhead water. Avoid. As with all tomentose species, wet wool rots.
The plant is short-lived as a houseplant in warm dry conditions. It belongs outdoors in cool maritime climates, or in cold frames in temperate gardens.
Propagation
Division in early spring is the reliable route for the wild species. Lift a mature rosette, separate offsets from the caudex with some attached root, and replant. Seed is also available from specialist suppliers and germinates readily at cool temperatures (12–18 °C).
Leaf cuttings fail. Stem cuttings are rarely viable because the stem is barely elongated.
Notes and quirks
In its native Falklands range, S. candicans is a conspicuous component of beach vegetation and was recorded by Darwin during the Beagle voyage. The tomentum is dense enough to reflect visible wavelengths strongly, which gives both the wild species and the 'Angel Wings' selection their silver-white appearance.
Not considered truly succulent by most authorities, but habitually grouped with succulent Senecio in the trade because of the tomentum and water-storing caudex. Mildly toxic to pets and livestock.
See also
- Senecio 'Angel Wings' — the selected cultivar.
- Senecio cineraria — silver ragwort.
- Senecio haworthii — cocoon plant.