Other Names:  Mountain Grass, Berode, form. Senecio kleinia

Description:

An interesting, branched succulent shrub, with gray bark on thick stems; narrow gray-green leaves near the branch tips will drop in dry season unless occasionally irrigated; small yellow fragrant flowers in late spring; an amazing landscape accent plant

Ornamental Features

Candle Plant features showy clusters of fragrant buttery yellow flowers with creamy white overtones held atop the branches from late spring to early summer. It has attractive grayish green deciduous foliage which emerges light green in spring. The succulent narrow leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The white fruits are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early summer to early fall. The smooth gray bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Candle Plant is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Candle Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Candle Plant will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Candle Plant makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.