We all love to have plants around us. Sometimes their colors and aroma make us feel that we are living in a fairyland. Even though we have a keen interest in planting them, there are some barriers we will have to face. What if there are some plants which we can take care of very easily? Kalanchoe plant can fulfill this requirement up to some extent.
Let us see some details about this lovely and cute plant.
Here’s the deal:
What is Kalanchoe?
Kalanchoes are succulent plants and are known for their small and brightly colored blossoms.
Surprisingly, there are more than 100 plant species belong to the genus Kalanchoe.
Can you believe that?
Yes, it is!
Regarding commercial breeding, it is hard to find all the 100 species!
So, the most well-known plant is Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. Robert Blossfeld, who found the plant in Madagascar, was given the name Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. This is commonly known as panda plant, blazing Katy, or widow’s thrill. Their brilliantly colored blossoms in variant colors such as red, yellow, orange, magenta, and white make them attractive home plants.
Is the Kalanchoe plant indoor or outdoor?
You can easily access them in florists, supermarkets, and garden centers, especially during the Christmas season. The Kalanchoe plants are commonly shared as presents. Is Kalanchoe plant indoor or outdoor, will be the question if you are going to give this as a present to your loved one. For that, you must know a bit about the environmental conditions associated with this.
These plants can thrive in dry environments in their natural habitat. They do not require much irrigation. They usually blossom for around eight weeks. The succulent plants of the Kalanchoe family may thrive outside in countries with warm or mild winters. However, they are commonly cultivated as houseplants. That is because climate requirements differ by species. If you want to grow them outside, you must ensure that the Kalanchoe plant you pick can live outdoors.
How do you take care of a kalanchoe plant?
Kalanchoe is a popular, easy-to-grow houseplant that thrives in dry conditions. This plant is pretty much popular among gardeners because of its simplicity of care and attractive leaves, as well as its flowers, which bloom regularly provided light exposure is carefully managed. When compared to other succulents, this has a rather extended bloom period. Kalanchoe is a slow-growing plant that takes two to five years to achieve maturity. Kalanchoes require little attention, although light levels must be monitored.
The tops of the leaves can be burned by strong sunlight. When growing Kalanchoe plants in pots you have to place them in partial sun to light shade.
If you can mix about 60 percent peat moss and 40 percent perlite, then it will be the ideal planting mix. To force a compact plant, cut off spent flower stalks. Deeply water the plant, then let it dry fully before providing any further moisture. You must fertilize once a month throughout the growth season. Many people remove them once they have bloomed. With a little effort, they can be persuaded to bloom once again. So, we hope that we have answered your question on “how do you take care of a kalanchoe plant?”
How many types of kalanchoe are there?
Genus Kalanchoe is a very diverse one. This genus of succulent plants belongs to the stonecrop family with roughly 120 species (Crassulaceae).
Do you know that most of the species are native to Madagascar and tropical Africa?
Yeah!
Moreover, many of them are popular because they are simple to grow indoors. To your question on “How many types of kalanchoe are there”, I can classify them into six categories as;
Floriferous
Calandivas and Kalanchoe blossfeldiana are bred for their bright or pastel flower clusters. These are marketed and seen all over the place, even at the most recent wedding reception you attended. You will ask that “What is the difference between Calandiva and Kalanchoe?’’
The simple answer is Calandiva is a brand name for a kalanchoe cultivar that was developed from Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. Calandiva is a beautiful flower. The number of petals on the blooms differs significantly between Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and Calandiva. We can see Calandiva plants have 32 petals, whereas Kalanchoe blossfeldiana has four.
Bryophyllums
Baby plants with frill leaf margins that fall off and roots are characteristic. It has the potential to become a weedy plant.
Paddles
Kalanchoe luciae is the dominant one with its overlapping oval and vivid red leaves.
Fuzzies
These short-haired plants are given charming names like “panda plant”, mainly with brown and gray color shadings. Most of the plants are in pots, like Kalanchoe beharensis.
Tropical
Kalanchoe marmorata, Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri, and Kalanchoe prolifera (box bloom) are large, thin-leaved plants that are particularly sensitive to temperature and the solar exposure.
Rarities
Kalanchoe humilis and Kalanchoe rhombopilosa are included. They are beautiful but difficult to cultivate. Vining kalanchoes with grappling hook-like leaves are also uncommon but rather easy to grow.
Conclusion
Of course, you can find Kalanchoe in a variety of colors such as red, yellow, orange, magenta, and white to attract us and like forcing us to take care of them as home plants. They are lovely soft succulents and have stunning blossoms. Kalanchoe plants are pretty easy-to-cultivate. However, issues might emerge if they are not adequately hydrated or exposed to temperature extremes. So, you should give good attention to these succulents if you have any plans to close them to your life as home plants.