Kalanchoe Plant – The Succulent with Pretty Blooms

The kalanchoe plant is a tropical succulent shrub, which bears colorful blooms and attractive foliages. This plant which has around 125 different varieties is seen to thrive well under conditions of partial shade.

Kalanchoe Plant – Requires Minimum Care and Maintenance

Owing to the minimum requirements needed for its growth and propagation, the kalanchoe plants are seen to occupy a prominent place in many indoor gardens. Even though there are many varieties of the plant, the basic requirements needed for a healthy growth is the same for all. It is seen that these plants thrive well when placed in pots, which contains soil that drains well. To facilitate the drainage, one can also put a few pebbles at the bottom of the pot. Since the plants have the capability to store water in their leaves, it is only necessary to water them once in a week. They should be placed in an area where they receive bright, indirect sunlight and should be fertilized with an ordinary plant fertilizer once in 2 weeks. The plant grows up to 2 feet tall when placed in an indoor garden and they become even bigger when they are placed outdoors. The color and size of the blooms produced will vary, depending on the variety of kalanchoe plant grown. Apart from beautifying the interiors, some species of kalanchoe also find wide uses in the field of traditional medicine.

Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana – Produces Pretty Blooms

A prominent member of the kalanchoe family is the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, which is considered to be a native of the Madagascar islands. These plants can be characterized by their dark green waxy foliage and scalloped leaves. The leaves may sometimes have a slight tint of red to it. The plant bears huge umbrella shaped clusters of flowers. The flowers will be small, with each of them having four distinct petals. The blooms will be of various colors like yellow, red, purple, white and orange and they are seen to last for a long period of time. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is seen to tolerate full sunlight and is also found out to be very resistant to conditions of drought. But they are sensitive to cold and will perish at temperatures below 40 degree Fahrenheit.

Kalanchoe Daigremontiana – Poisonous

Of the commonly seen plants in the kalanchoe family, Kalanchoe daigremontiana is an important one, which has the unique property of vegetative propagation. The leaves are light green and occurs in opposite pairs around the stem. This plant also goes by the name Mother of Thousands, due to the fact that it produces many baby plants along its leaf margins. When they fall of the leaf, these baby plants or plantlets form roots and establish themselves in the soil. These plants grow up to 3 feet tall when planted outdoors and are seen to produce pink colored bell shaped flowers. While handling Kalanchoe daigremontiana, one has to take extra care as all parts of the plant are found to be poisonous.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *