Bryophyllum

Family. Crassulaceae.

Origin. Island of Madagascar.

Description. Bryophyllum or Kalanchoe Degremona is a popular indoor succulent plant, the main feature of which is the many miniature babies that appear along the edges of the leaves. It is a long-living perennial with erect stems 30 - 180 cm high, sometimes reaching 2.5 m or more in height. The stems are glabrous, mostly unbranched, grayish or pinkish-gray. The leaves are oblong, fleshy, also grayish or light green, sometimes with a bluish waxy coating, from 15 to 150 mm. long and 2 - 6 mm. wide, almost cylindrical, with a small longitudinal groove. 

The leaves and sometimes the stems have darker spots. The bell-shaped flowers are 2–4 cm long, red, orange-red or pinkish-red with 4 petals joined together for most of their length. The buds are collected in hanging dense inflorescences at the top of the stems. The fruits are about 10 mm long, divided into 4 sections, containing numerous small brown seeds - less than 1 mm long. After flowering, the mother plant dies, but leaves small babies that easily root where they touch the ground.

Height. 30 - 150 cm.

Home care 

Propagation

Bryophyllum reproduces by seeds and tiny pups that grow at the ends of its fleshy leaves. The leaves can also root and start new plants. Select a few pups and place them in loose, moist soil in a shallow bowl. Cover the bowl with a plastic lid and place the pot in a sunny spot. Keep the soil moist. Remove the plastic lid when the seedlings are large enough to touch the plastic lid.

Flowering time

Flowering does not occur regularly, sometimes it is absent altogether. If flowering has begun, it will happen at the beginning of the warm season. 

Growing and care

Bryophyllum adapts well to different temperatures. It can grow in very dry conditions and does not require special care. If you take the pot outside in the spring and summer, bring it inside before the first frost. Succulents do not like sudden changes in temperature, so they should be accustomed to any changes gradually.

Transplantation

Replanting is carried out as necessary, in early spring, when the flower outgrows the pot.

Soil 

Standard flower mix with coarse sand or perlite added to improve drainage.

Containment temperature

Temperatures of 16 - 24 °C are excellent. 

Lighting

A minimum of four hours of sunlight per day is required. Bryophyllum will grow in direct sunlight or in bright light with light shade during midday summer hours. 

Fertilizer

Every month from March to September, fertilize at half the concentration. 

Spraying

Succulents do not like high air humidity. A fairly dry atmosphere in living spaces is ideal for this plant.

Watering

Water the bushes only when the soil has dried out to a third or even half of its depth. Do not allow water to get on the leaves, as this can cause rotting. Use well-settled or filtered water at room temperature for watering. Reduce watering in winter.

Pests and diseases

The plant is susceptible to rotting.  Bryophyllum is vulnerable to pests such as mealybugs, aphids, scale insects, and spider mites.

Note

All parts of the bush are poisonous, keep the flower away from pets and children.

Bryophyllum:

Bryophyllum pinnatum

A large succulent plant with erect, weakly branched stems from 50 cm to 2 m high. The leaves are oblong-oval, located oppositely on small petioles, green. The leaf blades are glossy, the edges are covered with small teeth. Daughter plants appear at the edges of the leaves and continue to develop even when the leaf is separated from the main plant. The peduncles are tall, vertical, bearing an inflorescence at the top - a loose panicle. The flowers are tubular, up to 3 cm in diameter, yellowish-green with pink stripes. 

Bryophyllum delagoense

An extremely attractive species, it is a succulent plant up to 1 m high with an erect stem. The leaves are long, round in cross-section, spotted - grayish green. The babies are located at the tips of the leaves. During the flowering period, it produces inflorescences - umbrellas with salmon-colored tubular flowers. After flowering, the above-ground part of the plant may die, but soon additional shoots will appear from the roots. The children formed at the tips of the leaves crumble and easily take root under the main plant.