“Is that a real flower?” I asked, studying the display of succulents in my friend’s garden window.
“Of course,” she replied (sounding a little miffed). “You know I don’t go in for fake flowers. Or fake anything, for that matter.”
“But it’s almost too pretty to be real,” I insisted. “What is it?” The geometric arrangement of the floral appendages, for lack of a better word, was so colorful — almost like a paint-by-number. Six appendages full of blue, purple, and pink floral cups.
“It’s a succulent.” My friend beamed — always thrilled to introduce something new to my botanical knowledge. “Some call itKalanchoe. Others call itBryophyllum. Just about everyone refers to it as a geometric succulent.”
“And there are many others just as beautiful as this one,” she added. “I thought I’d start with the most stunning selection, but I want to add more. They’ll only grow indoors here. They’re native to Africa and California and need lots of sun and warmth.”
“They’ll get plenty of both in your sunroom,” I noted.
I wasn’t sure I’d have the luck my friend had with succulents. My level of succulent success weighed heavily on the hen and chicks variety – very common, very simple, very easy to grow. The nice thing about hen and chicks was they survived our winters and prospered outdoors with little care. When I brought them in, however, they shriveled up and died. So, I left them outside and they thrived.
The more sophisticated and absolutely gorgeous succulent my friend had added to her collection, was definitely a beauty and one worth trying to nurture for its showpiece quality. It required some serious research.
Native to Africa and, more specifically to Madagascar, this plant has been naturalized in other tropical and subtropical areas, particularly California. Also known as Widow’s-thrill,Kalanchoeis a genus ofabout 125 species of tropical succulentsand has become a popular houseplant due to its showy qualities.
Related Post:How To Make A Succulent Terrarium
Different languages and cultures have unique names for this plant. The Spanish name for it is Siempre Vivo which means always alive; in the Odisha state of India, it’s called odia which means, deathless plant; in English-speaking Caribbean countries, it’s often called leaf of life or wonder of the world. These are all names that suggest its almost immortal quality. In other words, it’s difficult to kill this plant.
Kalanchoeis distinctive for geometric beauty with a profusion of miniature plantlets, colorful and orchestrated to create a unique, pattern. The succulent is a perennial plant that can grow to about8-12 inches in height. It is known to produce flowers throughout the year.
值得注意的是叶子上的鳞茎。这些鳞茎,看起来像球茎一样生长,会脱落,生根,产生更多的植株。繁殖再简单不过了。
Kalanchoe Varieties
Kalanchoe, like any other plant, has multiple varieties.
Kalanchoe Pinnata
Also known as the air plant, cathedral bells, life plant, miracle leaf, and Goethe plant (I like this name the best — and hadn’t realized Goethe, the famous German poet, was an amateur naturalist), this succulent has become a popular houseplant due to its showy qualities.
Mother of Millions (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)
幼小的植物有褶边的叶子边缘脱落并生根。
Paddles (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora)
Probably the best-known variety,Kalanchoe thyrsiflora有重叠的椭圆形叶子,通常颜色鲜红色。这种令人瞠目结舌的品种绝对是人们的最爱。
Walking Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe synsepala)
Synselpala is popular in hanging plants with its arrowhead or elongated oval leaves.
Fuzzies (Kalanchoe tomentosa)
Sometimes called the panda plant,Kalanchoe tomentosais covered with short hairs and is mainly gray and brown.
Lavender Scallops (Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi)
Lavender scallops are a smaller kalanchoe, but they spread and can work as a ground cover. They have gorgeous bell-shaped flowers, too!
Caring for Kalanchoe Plants
Plant care is pretty basic. Pot in regular potting soil or a cactus mix. The soil must be marginally moist, as if you’ve wrung out a sponge.Kalanchoedoesn’t tolerate extreme cold and definitely not frost. It enjoys desert-like heat and plenty of sun, or at least bright shade. The only deterrent is it attracts mealy bugs in the leaf axils.
If you notice the mealy bugs before they multiply too much, they’re easily removed with cotton balls dipped in a mixture of 1 cup rubbing alcohol, three drops of Dawn dish soap, and 4 cups water. After removing the visible mealy bugs, put the alcohol solution in a spray bottle and spray the entire plant. The process should be repeated twice a week until there are no more mealy bugs.
Medicinal Benefits of Kalanchoe
Different cultures have also found different medicinal benefits forKalanchoe pinnata. Whilst its chemical makeup can cause cardiac poisoning in grazing animals, it has been used in some countries for thetreatment of ailmentslike hypertension.
椰子叶的汁液通常用于治疗肾结石甚至头痛,有时还会与椰子油混合。亚马逊地区的克里奥耳人将其烤熟用于治疗炎症和癌症,并作为输液治疗发烧。
I certainly don’t have the year-round warmth to support this geometrickalanchoebeauty in my outdoor garden, but it is going to make a fine addition to my indoor plant collection. So easy to care for and propagate.
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