Senecio articulatus, commonly called the Candle Plant or Hot Dog Cactus, is a member of the Asteraceae family and a native of South Africa.Other closely related species in the 1250 plus member Senecio genus include weeds such as Ragwort and Groundsel, and Garden plants such as 'Dusty Miller' (Senecio cineraria).It is an evergreen perennial that reaches 40 to 60 cm (16–24 inches) in height.As it is a drought-resistant clump-forming succulent sub-shrub, it is ideal for growing in dry arid areas.
These plants are extremely drought tolerant. During the summer months, the Hot Dog Cactus only needs infrequent watering. Allow the soil to mostly dry between watering. In the winter, allow it to dry completely.
Use fertilizer at the start of spring and none during the rest of the year. The plant only needs a little bit of fertilizer to add nutrients to the soil. Adding too much fertilizer results in leggy growth.Add diluted liquid fertilizer to the water when watering the plant once or twice per month during the spring.
Grow the Hot Dog Cactus in well-drained sandy soil. When transplanting the plant, use a portion of the original soil.
It can survive outdoors in 25° degrees Fahrenheit (-4° C) temperatures during the winter, but long periods of freezing conditions may stunt the growth of the plant in the spring.