Kalanchoe is a perennial evergreen indoor plant in the family Crassulaceae. The plant originates in South and Southeast Asia and South America.
Kalanchoes are succulent flowering plants. The growers of that plant appreciate it for its beautiful leaves and its long lasting flowers. The flowers are diurnal, tubular or bell-shaped, the base of the leaves is a sometimes very beautiful calyx. The flowers grow on vertical racemes. The numerous blossoms open gradually that is why the flowering season lasts a couple of months. The colours range from yellow and orange to pink and red.
The leaves of the Kalanchoe are in various forms and sizes: smooth or mossy, sometimes lined, some species have small shoots which fall even with the most tender touch and take roots. Indoors Kalanchoes grow fast and reach 50cm in height and width and a lot of species can reach up to 2 m in height even in a room. Most Kalanchoe species live 5-6 years and after that it is good for the plant to be renovated with cuttings and shoots. And the big woody plants can live in a pot for more than 10 years.
Here are some of the most famous Kalanchoe species:
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana- a 30-cm high bush with opposite oval leaves undulated on the margins. The flowers are small about 1 cm in diameter, vermilion in colour growing in very beautiful racemes. Blossoms from March to June. There are Kalanchoe blossfeldianas with orange, yellow and other colors of the blossoms.
Kalanchoe manginii – it has small obovate to ovate-spoon-shaped 2,5 cm long leaves, bell-shaped red and orange flowers which grow on long coloured stems. Loves the light and the regular fertilization.
Kalanchoe pinnatum – this big plat reaches 1m height. It has succulent elongated leaves on the opposite sides, and the lower leaves are oval with corrugated margins and the upper ones are lobed.
Kalanchoe daigremontiana – a large plant with narrow, egg-like leaves about 15 to 20 cm long, grey-green in color, blotched with violet underneath. The margins of the leaves form lateral roots which take up root on their own.