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Dendrosenecio keniensis

Dendrosenecio keniensis
Photo: Dwergenpaartje, CC BY-SA 4.0

Dendrosenecio keniensis is a giant groundsel from the high moorlands and alpine zone of Mount Kenya, forming large prostrate clones of rosette-topped stems. It grows very slowly and is not grown in ordinary gardens, so care advice is mostly for botanic or high-altitude collections.

Family
Asteraceae (Daisy family)
Light
Full sun
Water
Keep the soil consistently moist, as it grows in wet moorland with high soil moisture.
Soil
Moist, humus-rich, well-drained organic mix.
Temperature
Cool montane conditions; tolerates cold nights well, protect from frost under glass in lowland areas.
How easy
Hard
Native range
Kenya (Mt. Kenya)
Climate
montane tropical

About

Dendrosenecio keniensis (syn. Senecio keniensis and S. brassica) is one of the giant groundsels endemic the higher altitudes of Mount Kenya. It is in the family Asteraceae and the genus Dendrosenecio (previously a Senecio). Dendrosenecio keniodendron occurs the upper alpine zone of Mount Kenya and D. keniensis in the wetter areas of the lower alpine or the moorlands.

Where it grows

Dendrosenecio keniensis makes its home mostly in the lower alpine or moorland zone located at altitudes of 2,900 metres (9,500 ft) to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) that can be characterized by high soil moisture, a thick humus layer, similar terrain and not a lot of different species present. The upper alpine zone, 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft), is more topographically diverse, and contains a more varied flora, including the giant rosette plants Lobelia telekii and L. keniensis, Senecio keniodendron and Carduus spp.. S. keniensis can be found in both the lower and upper alpine zone,

Other Dendrosenecio plants

Giant Groundsel · Giant Groundsels

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dendrosenecio keniensis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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