FEATURESTORY
by Eric Hopper
Kalanchoe is a Great Greenhouse Plant
Common Names: Mother of thousands, Flaming Katy, piggy-back plant and life plant.
Light: Consistently high light.
Best Temperature: Allow cool temperatures of 50º-60ºF for the flower blooms to appear in the fall but oth-
erwise, keep warm.
Water and Humidity: Let the soil dry between watering.
Growing Guidelines: Use an all-purpose soil with added sand for drainage. Fertilize with fish emulsion
once a month while they are blooming.
Common Pest Problems: Aphids and Mealybugs.
Propagation: Stem, cuttings, seed and from leaves.
Comments: It can be difficult to get them to bloom more than once, or depending on the species, it may
die after blooming.
Fun Facts:
Kalanchoe, also written Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë,
is a large genus of about 125 species of tropical, suc-
culent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae and
has a very wide distribution area. Only one species of
this genus originates from the Americas, but there are
56 from southern & eastern Africa and 60 species in
Madagascar. It is also found in south-eastern Asia until
China. Most of the species interesting to collectors are
coming from Madagascar or South Africa. These spe-
cies are generally subshrubs with succulent leaves.
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Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Kalanchoeae
Genus: Kalanchoe
The name Kalanchoe came from the Chinese name
“Kalanchauhuy”. Most are shrubs or perennial herba-
ceous plants, but a few are annual or biennial. The
largest, Kalanchoe beharensis from Madagascar, can
reach 20 feet tall, but most species are less than 3 feet
tall. Everyone pronounces it differently and nobody
knows exactly who’s right. Flowering Kalanchoe is a
cousin to the Jade plant and a fairly low-maintenance
www.GardenandGreenhouse.net
September 2018