Name: Kalanchoe daigremontiana aka mother of thousands

Type of Plant: This is a succulent that is grown as a houseplant in cold climates. It’s native to Madagascar, and hardy in zones 9 through 13.

Why I Love/Hate this plant: This plant is a study in all the wonderful ways plants evolve in order to push their genetics into the future. Some do it mostly from seeds, others continually spread out into surrounding soil, and some, like this Kalanchoe, grow from pieces that break off of the “mother plant.” Once you grow this succulent you’ll appreciate its common name. Tiny baby plants grow on the edges of the leaves. When these break off and fall to the ground, they take root there and grow to be new plants. These are called adventitious plantlets, and they make the mother plant look like it has jewelry all along the edges of her foliage. All in all, very entertaining!  

A Word to the Wise: Water this plant well once a week and let it drain well. Don’t overwater.  It’s best grown in a cactus style potting mix in a clay pot.

Don’t think that you have to pot up all the small plantlets that fall. Once you’ve given them to all of your friends, you’ll still have hundreds.

Like a pearl necklace, the tiny Kalanchoe daigremontiana babies decorate these leaves.

Since they can grow heavy, be sure to repot in a clay container once you get this plant home. Note that sometimes this old-fashioned plant can be hard to find. But if your friend has one…