Senecio haworthii

cocoon plant
Furry white succulent shrub loves sun, sharpest drainage. Full clumping habit. Protect from extended rains. Great in unglazed clay pot.
Senecio haworthiiSenecio haworthii
synonyms Kleinia haworthii
Cacalia haworthii
Kleinia tomentosa
height 6–14in
width 6–12in
tolerates Drought, Heat, Pots, Wind
water
needs		 Low
water
info		 Most succulents are from the deserts of the world and as such like to go totally bone dry between waterings, making them very low-maintenance. If you see your cocoon plant begin to shrivel or lose firmness, your plant is likely totally dry and should be watered.

This one comes from an area of the Little Karoo with sparse winter rainfall and dry summers and as such is unforgiving of excessive water in either season. An extra sharp draining mix will help with wet winters or overzealous summer watering.

Remember that if kept in a small pot your plant will want more frequent watering.
hardy
to		 22F
exposure Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Requires Perfect Drainage
fertilizing All Purpose
origin NW South Africa
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 9, 12–14, 16–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

Very slow growing.
Can grown from cuttings, or even from a single leaf.
The cocoon plant almost never blooms, but if it does the flowers are mustard colored.
Typically we don’t see this plant grown in the ground as a landscape plant, where it is more likely to rot out when water collects. If you’d like to grow it in the ground grow it in a well drained sloped or mounded rockery.
While this plant will tolerate growing in Part Shade it loses the pure white dense habit that makes it so desirable.
This plant makes a great houseplant for a sunny room; be sure to have direct sun or the characteristic fuzzy will become less dramatic.

More Info

This plant was grown for an outdoor environment, so we do not recommend moving it inside. In general we do not recommend moving plants raised for an outdoor environment indoors.
This plant would make a good houseplant if it had been grown in a controlled greenhouse with houseplant soil. This ‘greenhousing’ ensures that plants who come home with you are well acclimated to indoor life, and also that they don’t have any pests. It is common for outdoor plants to have other passengers as well, such as earthworms or centipides that don’t necessarily hurt the plant, but aren’t welcome indoors.
If you consider yourself an expert gardener, you can of course attempt to transition this plant indoors. In that case you’ll want to strip all the soil from the rootball, wash the roots clean and then spray the entire plant (leaves, undersides of the leaves, all the cracks and roots) with a mix of one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol in a cup of water. Repot the plant in the appropriate sterile soil/pot and take extra care as it transitions to the indoors, especially looking for pests and treating at the first sign of problems. Always consider the risk that any bugs could also affect other houseplants you have nearby.