Senecio 'Skyscraper' is a commercial cultivar name attached to tall, columnar succulent Senecios, most frequently selections of Senecio crassissimus Humbert, and occasionally of Senecio articulatus or its close relatives. The name is marketing rather than botanical; 'Skyscraper' is not a recognised botanical epithet, and specimens sold under it may differ from one nursery to another.
Part of the Complete Senecio Guide.
What 'Skyscraper' usually is
The most common form marketed under this name is a vigorous, upright S. crassissimus specimen selected for rapid height and tight vertical leaf orientation. The plant reaches 60–90 cm, taller than the species norm of 30–45 cm, and keeps its paddle leaves held edge-on to the sun.
Occasionally the trade uses the same name for tall S. articulatus selections, which have segmented pale-blue stems rather than flat vertical leaves. If you buy a 'Skyscraper' and it does not match the description below, check against S. articulatus.
Identification
- Upright stem to 90 cm, often bare at the base with age.
- Leaves flat, paddle-shaped, 4–6 cm long, grey-green with a waxy bloom and sometimes a pinkish margin, held vertically along the stem.
- Flower heads yellow, clustered at the stem tip.
If leaves are flat, vertically oriented, and paddle-shaped on a single upright stem, this is S. crassissimus in its 'Skyscraper' form.
Cultivation
Follows the regime for S. crassissimus exactly; see the Senecio crassissimus satellite for full notes. Brief summary:
- Light. Full sun or the brightest indoor position. Less light than this produces stretched, flopping stems that no longer "skyscrape".
- Water. Standard Senecio regime; water when the top 3 cm of substrate dries, typically every 10–14 days in summer.
- Substrate. Gritty free-draining mineral-heavy mix.
- Cold. Frost-sensitive; tissue damages below −1 °C.
- Staking. Taller specimens often need a discreet stake. The stem is woody enough to stand upright, but in bright windowsill conditions it can lean toward the light source; rotate the pot weekly or provide light support.
The lower stem tends to shed older leaves with age, producing a bare trunk topped by the active leaf cluster. This is normal; prune back by half in early spring to force branching and a fuller silhouette.
Propagation
Stem cuttings root reliably. Take a 10–15 cm section of apex, strip the lower leaves, callus for 2–3 days, and stick into dry substrate. Roots form within two weeks.
The cut stem left in the pot resprouts from the uppermost remaining node; this is how growers rejuvenate leggy specimens.
Notes and quirks
Because 'Skyscraper' is a trade name rather than a protected cultivar, provenance varies. If you want a reliable tall S. crassissimus, buy from a grower who identifies the parent species on the label; the cultivar name alone tells you little.
Some growers sell 'Skyscraper' alongside 'Himalaya', 'Mount Everest', and similar marketing names for what are effectively the same or closely related plants. See the Senecio 'Himalaya' note.
Mildly toxic to pets and livestock.
See also
- Senecio crassissimus — the parent species.
- Senecio 'Himalaya' — a related trade name.
- Senecio articulatus — candle plant, the other plant sometimes sold as Skyscraper.