Lavender Steps
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Propeller Plant, Vertical Leaf and Vertical Leaf Senecio.
Lavender Steps is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Toxic to people (medium severity). NC State Extension
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial ShadeNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Good DrainageNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Sand, Shallow Rocky; pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Toxic to people (medium severity)NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Letting the soil drain before watering eases this problem and lets the roots dry out before they are watered again.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- By division, leaf cuttings or stem cuttings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Move something and watch
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Photographs
About the plant
Senecio crassissimus, the propeller plant, vertical leaf or lavender steps, is a succulent species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, and is endemic to the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- C. MadagascarWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026MadagascarNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Perennial, Succulent; habit erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 18–24 in; width 12–18 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow; blooms in fall, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
HouseplantNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
More of the Asteraceae family
Barberton daisyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Purple passionLeaf blade tips go crisp and brown
String of pearlsDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.