Senetti is quickly becoming one of my favorite plants as it stays green all year round and has bright fluorescent flowers. Senetti will flower in winter, spring and fall and will have green leaves all year round. These plants will grow a full coverage of bright flowers which will last for 2-3 weeks.
These flowers can be trimmed back and you will get another coverage of flowers in 3 weeks time.
Senetti might be one of the showiest flowering plants in late winter with the option of hot pink, bright purple and even blues. I have recently added senetti to my garden and quickly discovered that there are some secrets to successfully growing this plant.
Senetti or Pericallis cruentus comes in a range of colors and I have gone for Magenta Delight. After planting two senetti in the same raised garden bed I quickly discovered the important of perfect positioning and what you must to prevent it drooping.
This article will explore how you can keep your senetti happy and green all year round and encourage a good coverage of flowers. Here are my top tips to successfully growing your perennial senetti.
How to grow a healthy perennial senetti
Here are my top tips to grow a healthy senetti that stays green, has a bright coverage of flowers and will look great in your garden.
Plant in afternoon shade
Senetti will thrive in afternoon shade so make sure you think about where you are going to put this plant. This was the first lesson I learnt with senetti as I planted one in a raise garden bed that got afternoon sun. After a few days it had drooped and struggled to settle in.
Senetti will flower brightly with morning sunlight but protection from the hot afternoon rays. Senetti will be available from nurseries in spring but if they go straight into afternoon sun it can be too warm and cause your senetti to droop.
I have since moved my senetti to a place in the front of my garden which gets afternoon shade. It is growing happily next to some clivias which famously love a shaded spot. This shows how much shade these plants actually need.
I have left one senetti in my raised garden bed as the end it is planted in is more protected. This plant is not drooping and was happily transferred to this new space straight from the nursery.
Feed senetti regularly
Senetti will grow well if they are fed more regularly than your usual perennial flowering shrub. These plants grow large displays of flowers but to keep up this growth they will need plenty of food.
A general all purpose liquid plant food given every 4 weeks over spring and summer will help it stay green and will regrow flowers every 3-4 weeks. Producing a large amount of flowers takes a lot of energy and will quickly eat up the nutrients absorbed by the plant.
I also like to add a handful of pelleted chicken manure 2-3 times over spring to maintain the green leaves on the plant. This is a slower release fertilizer that will gently feed the senetti nitrogen alongside a range of other nutrients. It can also be added again in fall.
Keep senetti out of the wind
Wind can dry out the senetti quickly and damage the leaves and flowers.
Senetti will struggle to grow well if they are exposed to warm or dry wind. Windy weather can quickly dry a senetti plant and it will suffer and droop quickly. Senetti need protection so plant them near other shrubs or near a garden wall to protect them from the wind.
Senetti make the perfect partner to a mixed plant display that is made up of shade loving plants, citrus, other flowering shrubs or as a feature potted plant.
Keep senetti watered well
Senetti need regular water and will suffer if they experience long dry periods. Watch out for dry soil over summer and top them up with water if there is low rainfall in your area. I will check all of my plants regularly in summer and top up once or twice a week with water in the morning.
Water senetti near the roots in the morning to keep them happy on a warm day. You may see temporary drooping of their leaves but this will quickly pick up after the weather cools at night.
Do senetti plants come back every year?
Senetti are a perennial shrub that will grow green throughout the year and will bounce back with flowers in winter, spring and fall. Senetti will have a brief period of dormancy or low flower production over the heat of summer but will burst back with new blooms in fall.
Is senetti an annual or perennial?
Senetti are annual flowering shrubs with a bright display of daisy-like flowers. They are certainly not as drought tolerant as an African daisy but have bright vibrant blooms that will cover the whole bush. Try these out if you have a spot in your garden that could benefit from a bright addition of color.
How long do senetti plants last?
Senetti plants will last as long as they are fertilized, well-watered and pruned back after flowering. These plants are perennial so will keep growing year to year. You will not need to replace them each year like pansies so they are fantastic value.
When choosing flowering shrubs I like to choose a range of plants for my garden that flower at different times of the year. That means I will always have something bright and colorful to look at. Senetti offer flowers over spring, winter and fall in sub-tropical areas so are the perfect addition to my garden.
Does senetti flower all summer?
Senetti can flower in early summer in mild areas but will stop flowering when the weather is at its warmest. There will be a brief break in flowering for this plant over summer but when the weather cools in fall you will see another burst of flowers on your plant.
Trim off the last flowers in summer to keep the plant neat and tidy. It will then be ready to grow new flowers at the start of fall.
How to grow Perennial Senetti | Summary
Senetti are a beautiful perennial shrub that will brighten up your yard. My top tips are to make sure it has afternoons shade, water it well when you first plant it out and over summer and top it up with some organic slow release fertilizer in spring and fall.
Senetti might be one of the brightest flowers you can plant in your garden so give it a go for a flashy show plant.
Happy growing.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.