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Senecio anteuphorbium cristata
A sunny to very bright location. During the summer, the plant can be grown outdoors in a sheltered spot.
Water carefully and only after the substrate has dried out completely. Reduce watering considerably during winter and keep the plant almost completely dry if overwintered in cooler conditions.
The plant is not frost hardy. Protect it from prolonged cold and frost during winter. A bright and relatively cool location around 10–15 °C is ideal.
The cristate form develops a flattened, wavy growth instead of the typical cylindrical stem. This unusual growth pattern gives each plant a unique shape, making every specimen slightly different.
Senecio anteuphorbium cristata is a rare cristate form of a succulent species from the daisy family (Asteraceae), whose currently accepted name is Kleinia anteuphorbium. The species is native to Morocco, where it grows in dry to desert-like habitats. The cristate form is not commonly found in nature and is primarily known from cultivation.
The plant produces a grey-green to blue-grey succulent stem which, in the cristate form, develops into a flat, wavy and irregularly shaped crest instead of the typical cylindrical growth. The result is a highly unusual fan-shaped structure that can resemble sea coral. Small, fleshy leaves are concentrated mainly along the upper part of the cristate growth. Each plant therefore develops its own unique shape.
In autumn and winter, small white to greenish-white flower heads with yellow parts may appear. The flowers are produced in small terminal clusters and are also notable for their delicate, sweet fragrance. Flowering may be less pronounced in the cristate form than in normally growing plants.
Senecio anteuphorbium cristata is suitable for container cultivation. It grows best in a sunny to very bright location and in a well-drained, preferably mineral-based substrate. Water carefully and only after the substrate has dried out completely. Reduce watering during winter and protect the plant from prolonged cold and frost. Thanks to its rare and unique cristate growth, this plant is a true rarity that immediately catches the eye.