The Kalanchoe

Photo Courtesy of Cobalt123

Scientific Classification

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Saxifragales

Family: Crassulaceae

Genus species: Kalanchoe

Distribution: The species is found growing in the south and southeast part of the island where semi-arid conditions exist with rainfall less than 10-15 inches per year. Xerophytic plants and scrub-land typifies the vegetation in the area. The genus name, Kalanchoe, was derived from the native name for a Chinese species. The species name, blossfeldiana, was given in honor of Robert Blossfeld, a German hybridizer who in 1932 introduced it in Potsdam from its native Madagascar.

Overall: Most of the better cultivars available in the U.S. today are asexually propagated from terminal cuttings of named cultivars. The vast majority of kalanchoe growers order rooted or unrooted cuttings from specialists propagators. However, some larger growers produce stock plants for a continuous cutting supply.

General Description: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a glabrous, succulent herd or subshrub that may develop woody stems with age. It is native to Madagascar (between 12 and 25 latitude), a large island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa.

Credits: Kalanchoe - Auburn University - College of Agriculture