Growing Blue Chalksticks: Tips at a Glance
Succulent blue chalksticks is a quietly creeping plant that will hug the ground at the front of a border or on a sunny slope. Easy to grow and well-behaved in a sunny, warm spot, its evergreen blue-gray foliage will be an attractive complement to salvias and other purple perennials.
- Type Succulent
- Lifespan Perennial
- USDA Zones 10-11
- Light Sun
- Water Drought tolerant
- Soil Well-drained
- Design Tip Container plant
- Companions Aeoniums
- Peak Season Evergreen
Blue Chalksticks: A Field Guide
Blue chalksticks is a succulent plant that will grow well at the front of a border or as a ground cover on a sunny slope. With powdery blue foliage, Senecio serpens complements other silver, purple, or blue plants.
A member of the Senecio genus (which is a very large family of plants, with more than 1,000 different species), blue chalksticks is an evergreen creeper that will thrive in warm (USDA growing zones 10-11) gardens.
Blue chalksticks is native to South Africa and appreciates sun, warmth, and well-drained soil. (Remember: this is a drought-tolerant plant that will react badly if you over-water it.) If you live in a cooler region, plant blue chalksticks in a container and bring it indoors during cold months. Consider it a temporary houseplant and get it back outdoors—and into full, direct sunlight—when temperatures warm up. Like other succulents with blue, gray, or purple leaves, it will be a temperamental indoor plant. (See 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Succulents for more tips.)