Senecio speciosus
Common name: Beautiful Senecio; Zulu name: ibohlololo; Sotho name: sebea-mollo-se-senye-yane; Xhosa name: idambiso

Clumps of this bright pink Senecio are a lovely surprise in the grasslands during late winter. It certainly is beautiful, especially at a time when one doesn’t expect anything to be flowering so cheerfully.  It continues flowering until the middle of summer, sometimes the flowers are pale pink and at others a deep magenta.

Senecio is the largest genus of flowering plants in the world – over 2000 – part of the largest plant family – the Daisy or Asteraceae family.  About 300 species are found in South Africa.

Senecio speciosus has toothed leaves which are covered in hairs and form a basal rosette. 

Leaves of this plant are used to treat many ailments in traditional medicine from headaches, to chest complaints and dropsy.

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