• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

House Plants Guide and Tips

houseplantsexpert.com

  • A-Z PLANTS
  • SEARCH TYPES
  • GENUS
    • BROMELIADS
    • CALATHEA
    • DRACAENA
    • FICUS
    • ORCHIDS
    • PEPEROMIA
  • PLANT CARE
  • ARTICLES
    • CHOOSING PLANTS
    • GUIDE BOOKS
    • BENEFITS OF GROWING
    • AIR PURIFYING PLANTS
    • POISONOUS FOR PETS
    • GROW LIGHTS GUIDE
    • GARDENING APPS
Home » Mother Of Thousands

Mother Of Thousands

September 4, 2022 by Mary Lloyster Leave a Comment

Mother of thousands, Mexican plant, Kanaloche, Devils backbone or Alligator plant is a common name for Bryophyllum daigremontianum.

This plant comes from Fiherenana River in Madagascar. All of its parts are toxic and it is said they can even kill if digested by small pets or children.

View on Amazon

Description

The kalanoche is very tolerant to temperatures. It can grow in very dry conditions and doesn’t require much care.

Flowering: The Mother of thousands develop small cluster of flowers, arranged on the stems. However, the flowering doesn’t occur on a regular basis and sometimes might not occur at all. If the flowering happens it will take place at the beginning of a warm season and produce small, grayish lavender flowers. After the flowering, the main plant dies and births small plantlets, which can drop and grow new plants wherever it lands. That’s why it is best to keep the kalanoche away from other plants and grow it in separate pots.

Foliage: It has long, fleshy, oblong leaves, which grow up to 20 cm long and 3.2 cm wide. They are green on the top and slightly purple underneath. The edges of the leaves have small bulbs, which contain plantlets. These can turn into roots, while still attached to the plant.

Displaying and growing: Mother of thousands can also be called an ‘evil genius’ because it can not only grow everywhere, but when grown with other cactuses it ‘shares’ the same spine with them. It is best to grow it in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole , not with other plants as it is hard to control it and stop it from spreading. During the warm moths it is fine to display it outside.

Facts

Origin:Madagascar.
Names:Mother Of Thousands, Devils backbone, Mexican Hat, Evil Genius (common names). Bryophyllum Daigremontianum and Kalanchoe Daigremontianum
Max Growth (approx):2 – 3ft.
Poisonous for pets:Toxic to cats and dogs.

Plantlets For Propagation

Mother Of Thousands Care

Temperature:The kalanoche will do well in temperatures of 65 – 75°F (16C – 24°C). It needs a minimum of four hours of sunlight a day. If you grow it outside, bring it indoors before the first frosts, but do it gradually as the sudden change of temperature can cause the plant some stress.
Light:It will grow in direct sunlight, or in bright-light shaded.
Watering:Water only when the soil is dry. Do not allow the leaves to get wet as this might cause rotting. Use room temperature water. During the winter allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Soil:Commercial cactus soil mix will be enough for this plant. If you use standard soil use some sand or perlite for better drainage.
Re-Potting:Early spring, but only when the plant outgrows the pot. Choose the next pot slightly larger than the original one.
Fertilizer:Every month, between March and September. Use a liquid fertilizer, diluted by half.
Humidity:It does not like high humidity. An average, room humidity is perfect for this plant.
Propagation:Pick some of the plantlets from the leaves. Put the cactus mix soil into a pot. The pot doesn’t have to be deep as the roots won’t be long at first. Put the plantlets on the surface of the soil. Put a plastic wrap over it. Put the pot in a sunny place. Keep the soil moist, but no not overwater. Remove the plastic wrap when the plants are tall enough and slightly touch the plastic. Replant to a bigger pot when the new plants outgrow the pot.

Potential Problems

Mother of thousands is one of the easiest plants to care for, but problems do occur. Remember that the plant is poisonous!

  • Mealy bugs: You can get rid of them by wiping the leaves with a cotton ball dipped in alcohol.
  • Aphids: Remove by hand.
  • Stem rot: As with most succulent plants if you overwater and/or allow the temperatures to become too low the stems will rot. this will kill the plant easily.

If you notice that your plant has been infected by insects/bugs, separate it from other plants immediately.

View on Amazon
Mary Lloyster
Mary Lloyster

Mary is our ultimate indoor gardening oracle. After many years of watching her very own indoor expo bloom, Mary has found us and today she is actively sharing her experience with our readers on a daily basis. Mary is a Political Science graduate, but one who has found a beautiful way of merging her full-time job with a drop of relaxation: indoor gardening. If you have any questions for Mary about house plants, indoor gardening, or caring techniques, drop her a line in the comments sections!

Filed Under: Succulent Plants

Reader Interactions

Popular Plants & Guides

Picture of flaming sword Bromeliad Bromeliads

Vriesea Splendens, Tillandsia, Billbergia, Guzmania, Aechmea Fasciata and others.

Picture of Calathea house plant Calathea

Calathea. Roseopicta, C. Zebrina, C. Crocata, C. Makoyana, C Lancifolia and others.

img-theme Dracaena

Dracaena Fragrans, D Braunii, D Marginata and D. Reflexa.

Ficus Benjamina plant Ficus

Ficus Pumila, Ficus Lyrata, F. Elastica and F. Benjamina.

Orchid

Cattleya, Lycaste, Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum.

Top 10 Air Purifying Plants

See house plants that not only spruce up the home but remove harmful toxins.

Temperature Guide

Temperature is an important factor for growth and varies from species to species.

House Plant Identification

Submit your house plant to the new forum and ask others for identification.

Repotting Plants

See the guide for repotting house plants with useful tips.




Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

ZZ Plant or Zamioculcas Zamiifolia

Dumb Cane Plant

Umbrella Tree Plant

Mother in Laws Tongue

How to Grow and Care for Calla Lily Flowers

Footer

Facebook

facebook icon

Subscribe for tips, news and deals

Added Recently

Peperomia obtusifolia
Peperomia ferreyrae
Lithops optica 'Rubra'
Peperomia puteolata
Peperomia Plants

Admin Stuff

About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Disclosure
Disclaimer

Copyright © 2013-2023 · Houseplantsexpert.com
Houseplantsexpert.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Additionally, Houseplantsexpert.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.