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Huh. How 'Bout That Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe luciae is monocarpic: it blooms once, then dies. I was preparing to pull the plants in my garden that recently bloomed, but look: plantlets in the leaf joints.
I hope I can pop each plantlet out and get it to root, if the plantlets are viable and not already programmed to bloom themselves. I've not seen this particular plantlet phenomenon before--the last and only time a K. luciae bloomed in the garden, it was in a pot where it was underwatered and hungry for nutrients. After bloom it quickly died, though it did spawn some offsets at its base. These offsets, which got places in rich soil unquestionably to their liking, have proved more enthusiastic about propagating themselves.
Huh. How 'bout that?
Then there's the first rose of the year. (The Souvenir de la Malmaison that hasn't stopped blooming for three years doesn't count.)
Glorious 'Golden Celebration':
Finally, I happened to notice how the paint color on the gate complements the winter colors of Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'. Lovely!
How 'bout that?
April 16, 2016: Kalanchoe update here.
Little joys, big cheers. And you'll have lots of new plants now!
ReplyDeleteThere are offsets as well, so I'm good on K. luciae for a while. :)
DeleteGreat pictures! I hope those plantlets grow for you. That seems like a great way to get more plants.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see. They may just try to flower like the original plant.
DeleteHow observant you are. I had to rush out as soon as it was light to see if mine was doing that. I cut off the flower stalk a while back; it was about 2 1/2 feet tall. I had to search hard but I think I found some wee ones in the top axil, but less than one millimeter in size. I have to wait and see now that you have opened my eyes. Mine has lots of very healthy pups at the base.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Will be interesting to see if you also get some plantlets. My plantlets, the biggest are about 1 inch in diameter, pretty considerable. The spot I placed the original plant in--it loved the spot, and got huge there. Guessing it had energy to spare.
DeleteI love it when plants surprise us, even ones we think we "know"!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! Especially the ones we think we know.
DeleteMore evidence of just how amazing succulents are.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. Be nice if some of my roses produced a plantlet or two! :)
DeleteThose plantlets are quite amazing, a lovely surprise, beautiful roses and Graptoveria!
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
Spring is on the way.
DeleteWow, that's new to me as well. Keep us posted on what happens to those babies.
ReplyDeleteI will. It would be nice to have a bunch more.
DeleteThe Kalanchloes are just full of surprises. Their will to live is impressive.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting Genus, lots of variety.
DeleteI discovered similar plantlets on my Kalanchoe after it bloomed over the summer and fall. Didn't realize that they were monocarpic and thought I'd done something wrong and had killed the plant. You've got a lot of special surprises in your garden!
ReplyDeleteDid you try rooting any of the plantlets? I'm wondering if mine will just try to bloom, like Agave plantlets still attached to a blooming Agave.
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