Re: How to care for Senecio tamoides ?


>At 08:15 PM 6/29/00 -0700, Kryzysztoff Kozminski wrote:
>>As the subject states: what do I do to keep my "canary creeper" happy. I
>>have it in full sun, well drained, getting about a gallon of water once
>>a week. Planted this fall, was happy and increasing over winter, but
>>nowadays half of it has shriveled and turned black. Any ideas what is
>>missing here? Too much sun? Too much water? Not enough water? None of
>>the 19 pages I found on the web mention its requirements...

Krzysztof -

I grow Senecio tamoides up here in Oakland (already a bit cooler) quite 
successfully, from the base of an obnoxious Cotoneaster and into its 
canopy.  The sloping, well drained clay soil gets very dry due to root 
competition from this big shrub, but the Senecio does not mind in the 
least.  It is also in the shade until the top of the canopy, where the 
bright green leaves and yellow flowers (in fall) are starting to cover the 
top of the Cotoneaster.  I also have a Passiflora in there giving a good 
fight as well.

I've seen this grown well at the Bancroft Warden also (wlanu Creek, 
probably as hot as you are), along a fence, leafing and flowering at the 
top.  I suspect this guy would like some shelter at the roots, ESPECIALLY 
in the hot eastern hills of the south Bay Area where you are.  Is there 
some shade on an east or north facing fence that you can plant it in, 
allowing it to reach the sunnier parts after 'climbing' the fence?  I say 
'climbing' because this one does nothing in the way of twining or tendrils 
as do most vines - it merely shoots up through something close-by (it 
presumes there is a shrub close at hand).  The succulent, almost finger 
width stems can go for 6-10ft or more, almost leafless, until they pop out 
into sun and start the business of branching and leafing out.  On a fence, 
I think an grid of concrete reinforcing wire would help hold it close and 
provide something the thread stray stems back into.  They often fall down 
into my shrub again, only to repeat the upward process, creating an 
interesting interlacing of stems inside!  My own plant was in a pot on my 
rooftop nursery, adjacent to where I wanted to eventually plant it out.  It 
must have read my mind, because when I went to actually do the planting, I 
found it had sent out one of these shoots over the side of the roof, down 
to the soil, rooted, and started shooting up through the cotoneaster all by 
itself!!!  I merely cut off my potted specimen (which I gave to a 
friend!).  Would that all of my plants be so accommodating!  ;-)

Would love to see how your garden is shaping up someday.

Regards,
Sean O.


Sean A. O'Hara                       sean.ohara@groupmail.com
h o r t u l u s   a p t u s          710 Jean Street
'a garden suited to its purpose'     Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
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