Kalanchoe humilis | Tiger Kalanchoe
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
Small perennial succulent subshrub, highly branched from a somewhat rhizomatous base. The stems are thin, weak, and purplish-green, initially erect and subsequently inclined, creeping or hanging, reaching approximately 5 cm in height in its natural form.
The leaves are fleshy, sub-sessile or practically sessile, 1–4 × 1–3 cm, obovate to spatulate, with a flat or convex upper surface and a convex lower surface. Their color varies from light green to bluish-green and they feature irregular reddish, maroon, or purple spots, the intensity of which increases with age and light exposure. The margin features small crenations, especially on the upper half, and can acquire reddish tones.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Crassulaceae. It is native to southern Tanzania, Malawi, and northern Mozambique, where it grows in seasonally dry tropical environments.
Populations develop in association with rocky environments and fast-draining soils, where water availability is markedly seasonal. Kalanchoe humilis can be confused with Kalanchoe prasina, a species with which it can coexist. It differs mainly by its more obovate or spatulate leaves with reddish spots, while K. prasina has leaves that are closer to orbicular and generally lack that reddish pattern.
❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 9b–11b. Tolerates minimum temperatures down to −3 ºC, provided the specimen is perfectly dry and the exposure is brief. For safe cultivation, it is advisable to avoid prolonged frosts and keep it protected when temperatures drop continuously.
Cold combined with a damp substrate significantly increases the risk of root damage and rot.
☀️ Lighting
Guideline DLI PAR: 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹.
It requires high lighting to maintain compact growth and develop the characteristic reddish or maroon pigmentation of the leaves. It can be grown in direct sun once acclimated, although in environments with very high summer temperatures, it is advisable to filter the sun during peak hours.
Insufficient light results in longer, weaker stems and can notably reduce the intensity of the leaf spots and pigmentation.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
It is a species from a seasonally dry tropical environment, with activity favored by warm temperatures and a marked ability to withstand periods of drought. In cultivation, it may show growth mainly during spring and summer, slowing down during winter and during episodes of extreme heat.
During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before watering again. In autumn, watering should be spaced out gradually, and in winter, significantly reduced, especially if temperatures are low.
Intense heat can cause a temporary slowdown; this situation should not be compensated for by increasing water if the plant is not actively growing.
🌸 Flowering
The inflorescence is an open and branched terminal cyme, relatively sparse, which can reach approximately 8–15 cm and remains dry for quite some time after flowering.
The flowers are small, approximately 4–6.5 mm, with a greenish tube at the base that acquires very pale lilac or purplish tones towards the top and features a characteristic network of purple veins. The calyx may also have purplish tones.
When cultivated in Spain, flowering can occur mainly between late spring and summer, although the exact timing depends on temperatures, the photoperiod, and growing conditions.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied after watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering. Fertilizing is not recommended during winter dormancy.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated by mycorrhizal fungi.
9x9 cm pot
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the dimensions of the plant, but these may also vary slightly because, it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.
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