Succulents have been having a moment for a while, and now these pretty plants are syncing up with another popular trend — mermaids — for one magical-looking plant that you’ll want to display in your home ASAP.
Officially known as a crested senecio vitalis and often referred to as Blue Chalk Fingers, this succulent variant can grow to look just like a mermaid tail sprouting out of the pot.
Because it grows outward instead of toward a light source like the majority of plants, it can fan out in such a way that resembles Ariel’s fin peeking out of the ocean when she dives back underwater.
Check it out in these photos posted to Instagram by @succulentcraze:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6TwUvnlTcq/
The caption notes that the plants shown in the pictures are not for sale. “Crested Senecio Vitalis,” reads the caption. “Crested this way because Mother Nature decided to. Not man-made meaning no one can make it grow like this unless something happens to the plant. I only found these four in the past few years.”
Wow! Mondocactus, a nursery in Italy, sells the plant and notes that it “often produces crested branches.”
Native to South Africa, the crested senecio vitalis typically grows between 1 and 2 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Unlike many types of succulents, Senecio grows in the winter, not the summer. It can handle long dry periods and is easily grown in sandy, well-drained soils in either sunlight or shade.
Because a natural mutation is responsible for the “crested” appearance, it may be tough to get your hands on a senecio vitalis that really nails the mermaid tail look like the ones shown by @succulentcraze.
But if you have your heart set on a mermaid-themed plant, you still have some options!
Check out proserpinaca palustris, aka mermaid weed, an aquatic plant in which the green leaves can eventually fade into a variety of pink and gold tones, giving it a mystical, mermaid-worthy quality.
If all else fails, get an adorable mermaid garden statue, like this one, available on Wayfair for $26.99.
How will you add some oceanic whimsy to your garden?