Senecio tamoides Common name: Canary Creeper; Afrikaans: Kanarieklimop; Zulu ihlozi elikhulu/uqobaqoba

The dark green Midlands' forest canopies are dotted with cheerful, contrasting, bright yellow patches right now, as the vigorous climber Senecio tamoides flowers in profusion. The inflorescences are quite large (120-150mm) with masses of small daisy-like flowers, so it makes a great show. The attractive shiny, succulent leaves are deeply and unevenly lobed with toothed margins.

Sweetly scented flowers attract butterflies and hordes of other insects. The larvae of the Tiger moth and Delegorgue's Prince Moth feed on the leaves and in turn, the fat caterpillars provide food for insect eating birds, like Shrikes. Senecio is fast growing and lush and a great way to increase biodiversity in your garden if you have little space, as it will scramble up the trees. It grows easily from cuttings, self seeds readily and will happily form a groundcover in light shade.

Traditionally, this plant is also used to treat anthrax in cattle and cold water infusions of strained, pounded leaves are used for flatulence.

Click on any of the links below to see another Dargle wildflower