Synonyms:

Bryophyllum daigremontianum
Common names are:
Mother of Thousands
Alligator Plant
Mexican Hat

Habitat:

Kalanchoe daigremontiana is native to Madagascar where the plant grows both in valley and mountain. It was introduced in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan, China, New Zealand, and Canary Islands. It is considered as an infesting in tropical and subtropical regions but the cultivar Pink Butterflies on the contrary is very sought after by collectors. This cultivar is a variegated form of an old hybrid between Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Kalanchoe delagoensis.

Description:

Kalanchoe daigremontiana cv. Pink Butterflies is a perennial succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant has an erect habit and can reach up to 1 m in height. The stem is stout, glaucous green, few branched, and marked by leaf scars. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, fleshy, stout, triangular, toothed, bright green in color with red margins. The leaf edges bear tiny pink plantlets bilobate. These plantlets usually fall down and can root and propagate the plant, but not in this hybrid. The pink color of these plantlets is a result of their lack of chlorophyll, which prevents them from photosynthesizing and reproducing. Blooming occurs sporadically at the beginning of the warm season and the inflorescence is borne at the apex of a 15 cm long stalk. The flowers are bell-shaped, large, showy, coral-red coloured. The fruit is a group of 4 follicles bearing tiny, oblong seeds.

Cultivation:

The plant has a slow growth rate but it easy to cultivate. The plant needs a full light sun exposure but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The minimum temperatures that the plant can withstand are 8° C, below this temperature it begins to suffer so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. Using a perforating pot, you can drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly in Spring and Summer: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. About fertilization, for this plant is sufficient to fertilize moderately during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for succulents and stop fertilizing during the winter. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

This plant is a very aggressive weed because exudates of its roots can inhibit the growth of nearby plants. The name ‘Pink Butterflies’ refers to the color of the plantlets resembling pink butterflies. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans, stocks and small animals. The epithet ‘Mother of thousands’ refers to the ability of Kalanchoe daigremontiana to propagate vegetatively from the numerous plantlets.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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