Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Blue Fingers, syn. Senecio mandraliscae

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

An interesting and beautiful succulent variety producing powder blue, narrow foliage that reaches upward; a perfect color accent in rock gardens, containers, or massed as groundcover

Ornamental Features

Blue Chalk Sticks's attractive succulent narrow leaves remain powder blue in color throughout the year on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. It features dainty clusters of white flowers held atop the stems in mid summer.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Chalk Sticks is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Chalk Sticks is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Blue Chalk Sticks will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Blue Chalk Sticks is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.