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Senecio scandens
Asteraceae FAMILY Least Concern

Senecio scandens

Senecio scandens

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

Senecio scandens is a commonly used medicinal herb, especially in China, where it is a component of more than 100 compound herbal medicines. However, the plant is known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These alkaloids, which are derived from various amino acids including ornithine, have a range of antinutritional activities. In particular, they can have a pronounced hepatic toxicity, though the lungs and other organs may be affected as well; mutagenic and carcinogenic activities have also been reported[1, 2]. The alkaloids have a cumulative effect upon the body and, unless concentrations in a plant are high, occasional use is generally safe and in the case of medicinal herbs, can be very beneficial. In general it is best to seek advice before medicinal use.

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Climber
GrowthMedium

Senecio scandens is a plant of warm temperate to tropical areas. It is unable to tolerate much frost[3]. It succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of the temperate zone, where it needs to be grown against a sunny sheltered wall[4]. Succeeds in a sunny position in most well-drained moderately fertile soils[3]. Plants can be cut back to the ground in cold winters, though they usually resprout from the base[5]. A climbing plant, it needs support and to be tied onto wires[4]. Any pruning is best carried out in spring[5].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring[3]. Root cuttings in early spring[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Senecio+scandens>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  2. [2]Senecio scandens Buch.-Ham.: A review on its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity — Wang D., Huang L. & Chen S. · 2013 · http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2013.05.048 ↩︎
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  6. [6]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  7. [7]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  8. [8]Flowers of the Himalayas. — Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. · Oxford Universtiy Press · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
  9. [9]A Barefoot Doctors Manual. — ? · Running Press; Philadelphica. · 1977 · ISBN 0-914294-92-X ↩︎A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
  10. [10]Chinese Materia Medica. — Stuart. Rev. G. A. · Taipei. Southern Materials Centre · 1911 · ISBN - ↩︎A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.