Is this a Pencil Cactus?

by Candace
(Canada)

I rescued this plant and some of his succulant friends from a big box store at the end of the season and have been unable to identify. It stands over 3 feet tall and has slender pale green leaves, approximately 5-6 inches when mature. I'm attaching photos hoping that someone will be able to help me identify it so I know how to care for it. It is not doing very well; very droopy, although the top looks great. I sure could use some help.


Drought Smart Plants reply:
Hi Candace, this is one of my favorite plants for mixed containers. They add height and some really nice spiky texture to Echeveria and other succulents.

As an added bonus the spicy pungent smell when you crush a leaf is really special. The botanical name is Senecio mandraliscae, and one of their close relatives, Senecio serpens, also goes by the name of Blue Chalk Sticks, so maybe that's where the pencil cactus name came from.

Different animal - Pencil cactus is Aporocactus.

Here's what I suggest; cut the top off your plant, and cut the stem into several pieces, up to eight or ten.

Set them on top of the soil that the main plant is in, and you'll see in time that they each send out new pink roots.

Don't water until after they have some of these and can be potted up separately, or in the same pot. Each time you cut them, they'll branch out, which is their normal kind of growth, to make a kind of shrubby plant.

See the page here for more:
Succulent plants miscellaneous (scroll down until you see the picture) and for information on caring for this kind of succulent plant, check the page on succulent care. Buy the Succulent Plant Propagation E-Book, or see this page on succulent plant propagation.

Happy Succulent Growing!
Jacki