Cineraria Senicio
I love this plant and I think of it as the Cinderella of my garden. It is hardy, humble and absolutely stunning at show time. I can't claim responsibility for it as I had nothing to do with planting it in my garden. It was quietly reseeding itself in front of my house before I moved in and I discovered it the first winter there (it starts showing itself around November and starts blooming around February and continues to until around June). I asked my neighbor - herself a great gardener - if she knew what the unfamiliar plant was. She did not but added, in words that I will never forget that it was a rather unimpressive bloomer.
As far as I am concerned, she could not have been further from wrong! After much searching I finally found out the name of the plant was Cineraria which is part of the Senecio family, indeed a very large family. The actual name is Senecio stellata. You will find Cineraria’s for sale everywhere in the Bay Area but they are Senecio hybridus, the short and stout cousin of stellata. It is almost impossible to find stellata for sale. However, you can find it at Annie’s Annuals in the East Bay: http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/s/senecio_stellata_gs.htm
Stellata gets to be 2 or 3 feet tall and is much more airy than its rather ugly cousin, hybridus. It’s colors are brilliant and range anywhere from blue, purple to fuchsia. I heard white is a possibility as well, but I have never seen it. It loves semi shade and fairly moist soil. It reseeds easily.
I have taken to gathering its seeds and replanting them in other areas of the garden and hope that they will be growing there soon. Will certainly let you know. As a tip to myself and others, I read somewhere that it looks beautiful planted with ferns. One thing I do know, I love being greeted by these absolutely brilliant plants, they are one of the plants when in bloom that you makes you think that all the work of gardening is suddenly worth it.
As far as I am concerned, she could not have been further from wrong! After much searching I finally found out the name of the plant was Cineraria which is part of the Senecio family, indeed a very large family. The actual name is Senecio stellata. You will find Cineraria’s for sale everywhere in the Bay Area but they are Senecio hybridus, the short and stout cousin of stellata. It is almost impossible to find stellata for sale. However, you can find it at Annie’s Annuals in the East Bay: http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/s/senecio_stellata_gs.htm
Stellata gets to be 2 or 3 feet tall and is much more airy than its rather ugly cousin, hybridus. It’s colors are brilliant and range anywhere from blue, purple to fuchsia. I heard white is a possibility as well, but I have never seen it. It loves semi shade and fairly moist soil. It reseeds easily.
I have taken to gathering its seeds and replanting them in other areas of the garden and hope that they will be growing there soon. Will certainly let you know. As a tip to myself and others, I read somewhere that it looks beautiful planted with ferns. One thing I do know, I love being greeted by these absolutely brilliant plants, they are one of the plants when in bloom that you makes you think that all the work of gardening is suddenly worth it.
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