Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Kalanchoe daigremontiana (syn.: Bryophyllum daigremontianum)

This is the succulent plant that succulent plant collectors love to hate! Why? Well, let me count the ways. Each of those little plantlets along the leaf edge will soon drop into a wayward pot and pretty soon every pot in the greenhouse - and the space in between the pots - is growing new "Mother of Thousands". If you look closely you'll see that even the plantlets are forming new plantlets on the edges of their little leaves. Help!!!

OK. Admittedly, there's something  cool about these plants. One of the readers of this blog even commented one time that this was her favorite succulent plant. But if you bring it up at one of the cactus & succulent society meetings, the universal response is "Get that away from here!!!"

So why the picture of it. Because we still have it in our greenhouses. And because there's always that one in a thousand...

4 comments:

  1. This plant scares me, the way it reproduces in so many ways, and so fast! It can become a very frightening invasive. On the other hand, where we live, it's a real sanctuary for reptiles. It's poisonous to most animals, but the lizards and snakes and anoles love it for shelter and shade, and some of the species that live the clump by my door are endangered, or threatened. So I guess, in moderation, it's a good plant to have around, at least for reptile conservation!

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    1. Yes, it would be very invasive in any welcoming climate, and it's potentially deadly to babies and small pets if ingested. Interesting about the reptiles.

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  2. Também não gosto muito, mas aqui eu mato as filhas e deixo a mãe ,
    kkkkkkkkkkkkk

    http://eueminhasplantinhas.blogspot.com.br/

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    1. Our winters are too cold for these to survive outside, but if they could, I'm not sure that the mother would be safe!

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