Senecio macroglossus, the Natal ivy, marguerite ivy, climbing senecio or wax ivy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to southern Africa, from Zimbabwe and Mozambique to eastern South Africa.

Name

Despite its common name, and its resemblance to common ivy, it is not closely related to that group of plants. The Latin specific epithet macroglossus means "large tongue".

Description

Growing to 3 m or more, it is an evergreen climber with waxy triangular leaves to 8 cm long. Single, yellow, daisy-like composite flowerheads are borne in summer.

Cultivation

With a minimum temperature of 5 - 7 C, it is frequently grown as a houseplant in temperate regions. Numerous cultivars have been developed, of which 'Variegatus', with cream-coloured leaf margins, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.