Kalanchoe Species, Mother of Millions, Mother of Thousands

The viviparous Kalanchoes are notoriously weedy, even when grown in pots. The little plantlets on the leaf edges seem to jump into other ...Read Morepots. They are especially troublesome in collections of cacti and other spiny succulents, from whose pots they are difficult and painful to remove.

This is a family of succulents with a wide variety of both plant and flower forms. We have seen many kinds at countless cactus shows and ...Read Morebotanic gardens, including the Huntington, L.A. Arboretum, and most recently at San Diego Botanic Garden.

We also have several different kinds in our own collection at home, including a rare vine form of kalanchoe that we picked up at the sales area of a cactus show we attended a few years ago.

They're a lot of fun to grow. If you don't have any in your collection yet, I highly recommend picking some up.

I acquired this plant on accident. I was purchasing several other succulents and one of the little plantlets stowed away. It grows very e...Read Moreasily, takes lots of abuse. I am constantly having to get rid of all the millions of little plants that fall off and sprout everywhere!

Bryophyllum 'Crenatodaigremontianuma' is a horticultural hybrid between Bryophyllum crenatum and Bryophyllum daigremontianum. I think it ...Read Morewas originally Kalanchoe HBG 73004, a hybrid from Huntington Botanic Gardens. It was renamed from Kalanchoe laetivirens to Bryophyllum 'Crenatodaigremontianuma'. I have seen this plant listed as Bryophyllum 'Big Momma'.

It has broad pale green leaves which, when mature, have distinctive ear-shaped lobes at the leaf bases. Many plantlets also form at the edges of mature leaves. The edges of the leaves may have a rosey-mauve color depending upon the time of year, the temperatures in its growing environment, the age of the plant and the amount of sunlight it receives. After 3 years mine finally bloomed in January after placing it in my heated greenhouse where it receives a lot of humidity. It is usually propagated by plantlets, leaf cuttings and stem cuttings. The blooms on mine are a pale pinkish lavender to pale lavender with pale green on some blooms. The bloom stems are a rosey-lavenderish color as well. I really like this plant because it does not grow as tall (therefore, is more compact) as my Bryophyllum daigremontianum which has to be staked and because it can be grown in a hanging basket. Its trunk is upright and stout so it does not fall over easily. It needs to be protected from freezing temperatures.