Kalanchoe laxiflora | Milky widow's thrill
€15,90
🌱 Morphology
Perennial succulent subshrub, glabrous, up to about 50 cm. The stems are erect and branch from the base; flowering stems may start prostrate, rooting upon contact with the substrate and subsequently rising. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, green to bluish-green, generally with a reddish margin. The blade is ovate, approximately 2–6 × 1.5–3.5 cm, with a base sometimes clearly auriculate and a very crenate margin. Bulbils may appear on the teeth of the margin, a characteristic feature of its group. It is a fairly variable species in size, leaf coloration, and flowers.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Family Crassulaceae. Species accepted by Kew, native to central and central-eastern Madagascar, where it grows on rocks and in dry environments or xerophytic scrub. Populations are known from the vicinity of Antananarivo to areas of south-central Madagascar, even at altitudes of about 2,300 m.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 9b–11b
It tolerates relatively cool temperatures when kept dry, although occasional tolerance should not be confused with the safe minimum cultivation temperature. For pot cultivation, it is recommended to protect it from persistent frosts and keep the substrate dry during cold spells. Its origin includes high-altitude localities, which explains a greater adaptation to cold than some other tropical Kalanchoe species.
☀️ Lighting
Intense lighting is recommended, with a target of 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR during growth. High radiation promotes compact stems and enhances the reddish, violet, or brown tones of the margins. Progressive acclimatization is advisable before exposing plants grown in low light to intense solar radiation.
💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Opportunistic. It mainly shows growth during periods of moderate temperatures, taking advantage of seasons with water availability. In cultivation, it is recommended to water abundantly when the substrate is completely dry and then allow total drying before repeating the watering. During winter and during episodes of extreme heat, the frequency is reduced, avoiding constant moisture in the roots.
🌸 Flowering
It produces dense terminal inflorescences of the cymose-cymbiform type on peduncles that can reach about 50 cm. The flowers are hanging, with a yellowish-green, orange-reddish, or violet calyx and a tubular corolla of highly variable color: red, purple-red, pink, orange, orange-yellow, or pale yellow. In Spain, it can be expected mainly between autumn and spring, depending on temperatures and the cultivation regime. Herbarium records from Madagascar show flowering at different times of the year, reflecting its geographic variability.
🌿 Nutrition
Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied during the active growth period. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering to promote the development of inflorescences.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
Basic collection plant in a 9x9cm pot
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