succulent commonly grown as a houseplant or green-
house plant. Flower heads on kalanchoe blossom in
bright oranges, pinks, yellow, red and white on a
compact, upright plant about 6 to 12 inches high. The
fl owers will last anywhere from 3-6 weeks, and the
foliage is attractive and shiny green all year-round. K.
blossfeldiana fl owers in late autumn to early winter.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is the most common
variety of kalanchoe, also known by the English
common names Flaming Katy, Christmas Kalanchoe,
Florist Kalanchoe and Madagascar widow’s-thrill, but
there are many varieties to choose from, including
pendant (hanging) varieties and nonfl owering variet-
ies grown for their unique foliage. All kalanchoes
have the same growing requirements.
Kalanchoe is a popular plant during Chinese New
Year celebrations, as it is said to bring wealth and
prosperity. These plants are cultivated as ornamen-
tal houseplants and rock or succulent garden plants.
This plant is known to the Chinese as “thousands
and millions of red and purple”. Some species con-
tain toxins that can cause cardiac poisoning in graz-
ing animals. The plant has been used in traditional
herbal medicine to treat infections, rheumatism and
infl ammation. Kalanchoe extracts also have immu-
nosuppressive effects. Kalanchoe pinnata has been
recorded in Trinidad and Tobago as being used as a
traditional treatment for hypertension. GG
34
www.GardenandGreenhouse.net
September 2018