Sunday, July 22, 2012

Plant ABCs: K is for Kalanchoe

The next letter in my series called The ABCs of Plants in My Garden is K.  K is for Kalanchoe, which is a succulent native to southern Africa.

While researching these, I was surprised to find I had a total of six different varieties of kalanchoe as opposed to the two I already was aware of.


They are so easy to grow and propagate that other gardeners share them generously.  They are monocarpic, blooming just once and then producing offsets.  As with most succulents around here I keep these on the deck and away from the hungry herd of deer that regularly browse my yard.

Let's meet them one by one.  The names on this list are based on labels or my own research so feel free to point out corrections as needed. 

K.  blossfeldiana:  The kalanchoe most familiar to me, and I call this one "supermarket" kalanchoe since that's where we often see them for sale.  This yellow bloomer fits nicely in the top of a strawberry pot.

 
K. diagremontiana:  Mother of Thousands or Alligator Plant, a commonly shared plant in among gardeners in this area.  The long pointed leaves with the little plants growing along the edge does look a bit like an alligator and the only one we'll see this far inland except at the zoo.  I like the structure and this one will survive a mild winter in the warmer parts of town where it can also be somewhat invasive.


K. gastonis-bonnieri:  Donkey Ears, the mottled pattern and soft texture of these leaves makes it a favorite.  Look closely to see new plants forming at the end of the very long leaves.  The leaf in front is 18"/7cm.  Long floppy ears work well in this wire basket.



K. laetivirens:  Called 'Big Momma' and it is similar in structure to the K. diagremontiana with larger, greener leaves.  It also produces new plants along the edges of the leaves.


Most of these can be propagated by pushing a broken piece of leaf in soil, such as this one in the pocket of a strawberry jar.  The new plant popped up within a couple weeks.


K. luciae:  Paddle shaped kalanchoe, This is a pretty little plant is in the new succulent window boxes I'm trying out this year.


K.  pumila 'Frosty Pink':  This is a tiny one that can fill in the window boxes like a ground cover. 


Kalanchoe are all frost-tender and will need to come indoors during the winter.  I'm getting so many plants needing winter protection now it's a good thing we are adding a screen room to the deck which I will convert to a winter greenhouse for our few months of cold weather we have each year.

8 comments:

  1. Fabulous, you've just helped me identify a pass-along plant I received ages ago. I knew it was a succulent of course, but now I can say I'm pretty sure I have a Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri. What a mouthful! Donkey's Ears is easier.

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    1. Glad to help, I was so taken with the plant the first time I saw it and my friend was generous to share a few cutting with me.

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  2. K. gastonis-bonnieri is fairly new to me. K. pumila gives a great show and alternative colour in my garden, I do love it. Nice post! LT

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    1. Donkey ears should be available where you are and even though it's quite large I'm sure you can find a place for it.

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  3. Very fun post. These are, for me, pretty exciting to grow in the garden. I have 3 varieties all of which are doing well. I have to watch out in winter because a freeze will take them out.....but surprisingly they drop their plantlets all over and right now I have them growing all over the place. I like the look:)

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    1. Your weather is so much warmer there that it's work the risk to keep them out. I've found that many non-hardy plants survive if they are in a protected spot.

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  4. Great/helpful post. I just discovered your blog (hello fellow Texan!). I am constantly trying to figure out the names of the plans that I already own. When it comes to Kalanchoes, most of mine were just propagated from small plantlets, so I never know the name. K. laetivirens is the one I really could never name, online I always ended up on the mother of thousands page, which just wasn't right. You helped me out with this one! Thanks :)

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  5. Hi Steve, glad to be of help. It does take a while to find those latin names sometimes.

    Thanks for your nice comment.

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