Species · genus Senecio · Asteraceae

Canary Creeper

Senecio tamoides DC.

Also known as: Canary Ragwort · Climbing Cineraria

Growth habit

scrambling shrub

Native range

Cape Provinces, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Zimbabwe

Senecio tamoides — reference photo — Yucalyptus · CC0

Cultivars of S. tamoides

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under S. tamoides yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A Scrambling African Senecio

Senecio tamoides is a scrambling shrub in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It belongs to the same wide-ranging genus that also gives us string of pearls and string of bananas, though its own habit is more climbing than trailing.

Source: Kew

Roots in Southern Africa

This species is native to southern tropical and southern Africa, with a range spanning the Cape Provinces, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, the Northern Provinces, and Zimbabwe. It has since been introduced well beyond that home range, turning up in places as far apart as Brazil, Spain, and Queensland. In its native subtropical habitat it grows as a scrambling shrub and has a history of use as a medicine.

Source: Kew

Light First, Water Sparingly

Senecios as a group are grown as easy, succulent-leaning houseplants that ask for a bright spot and take as much sun, or bright artificial light, as they can get. Water is best kept sparing, given only once the soil has dried, since overwatering is the main risk. These plants tolerate dry indoor air better than most houseplants, but they dislike drafts, so it helps to keep them away from hot or cold blasts from windows and vents.

Source: Costa Farms

A Variegated Form Exists

Beyond the plain species, there is a named cultivar, Senecio tamoides 'Variegatus', recognised by the RHS. As a member of the Senecio genus it shares the family trait of daisy-like flowers, though some Senecio species skip the ray florets altogether.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

7–27 °C

Soil mix

Free-draining succulent mix with added grit

Propagation

Stem cuttings root easily in gritty mix

Fertilizing

Light feed monthly through spring and summer

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Showy sprays of bright yellow daisy flowers in autumn

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Senecio (ragwort / groundsel) — pyrrolizidine alkaloids; vomiting, lethargy. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Canary Creeper yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.