Maternity Plant, or Mother of Thousands

Most people find this plant fascinating – it’s not often that you get to see a plant producing its young right on the edge of its leaves. Kalanchoe daigremontiana, the Maternity plant, or Mother of Thousands (or millions) is one of the few that do this.

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It’s known as vivaparous, or live bearing, and the tiny plants are exact duplicates of the adult plant, but much smaller.

Once the baby plants reach a certain size and have a few sets of leaves, they will also have some roots waving around in the air.

This is right about the time that they drop to the ground to root into the mother plants pot, or any adjacent planters. They can also live without any soil at all, or in a crack in concrete.

Many people have this plant, but few know its name, or some of its other characteristics.

The leaves are opposed, meaning that it grows two leaves opposite to each other, and they are spear shaped, mottled or spotted with a dark maroon or purple on the back, and sometimes also seem to have a powdery substance called ‘bloom’ all over the leaves and stems.

This picture shows how the new plants emerge from the edges of the leaves.

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There are several forms of this plant, with several variations. Some of these differences are genetic, others are the result of differences in growing conditions.

In places like Florida, or in its native Madagascar, it’s considered a noxious weed, and if it escapes from captivity, will proliferate by dropping the little plants all over the place.

It can grow anywhere, in any conditions, especially if it’s warm and humid. This is a plant that will most likely survive long after civilization ends.

Please keep it in check if you garden in a warm climate.

Frost will kill it, so in the Northern Hemisphere you might be safe from it’s urge for world domination.

Besides the weird characteristics of the foliage, it has the most amazing flowers.

These are generally in shades of pink and orange, arranged in a whorl of many down facing trumpets on a tall spindly stem.

There is nothing in in the plant that would indicate that it could possibly have flowers like this, so it’s always a surprise.

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See more Flowering Succulents here…

Other things to keep in mind are that it is poisonous.

Many cats especially seem to find it hard to resist.

Is it the dangly little plants that entice them to chew on it? Or some other mysterious attractant that only cats know about?

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Keep it away from small pets and children.

Find out more about other Poisonous Succulent Plants here, and more on what plants are safe for cats.

See more about Kalanchoe daigremontiana here…

Check out the pictures and information from other visitors…

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has thin flat leaves end close to stem curls up 
has thin flat leaves end close to stem curls up, has little ones that form off end of leaf.

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Stemmed with thick leaves that reroot itself 
My husband got a leaf from an unknown succulent plant and we have had the hardest time finding its name and origin. It doesn’t like direct sunlight …

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Have No Clue 
I inherited this plant from a co-worker who left the company. I’ve been watering it and it’s been growing like crazy. The ex-coworker said it’s a succulent …

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Pink flowering succulent 
On my morning jog, I came across this lovely flower, have been unable to identify it, even though I have come across pictures online, all just refer to …

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Tall stemmed trumpets 
For very tall stems topped with small bouquets of coral colored trumpets. Bottom of stems have a few “leaves” and not much of a base. Leaves are small …

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Help me identify this plant 
Hi, I was given several “plantlets”, tiny plants growing out of the edges of some leaves in a large succulent (I think) plant. The mother was about …

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Possible Kalanchoe, Species Unknown 
I know nothing about succulents. I happened upon a small succulent and cacti festival at a local arboretum sometime last year and decided to purchase this …

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Tis a mystery succulent to me… 
I bought (or should I say I “won”) two small succulents on eBay. The seller also included 10-12 cuttings from other various succulents none of which …

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Mother of Millions 
green leaves – bumps on edges – no flowers Hi Jean, this is one plant that seems to absolutely fascinate everyone who sees it, and I get asked about …

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small succulent plants from Tucson 
See attached photos. They are grey-green with white spots. They are quite prolific. The leaves (?) develop both radially and vertically forming …

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Unknown succulent – variegated leaves 
Variegated leaves, almost perfectly symmetrical pattern. Leaves seem to be shaped to channel water to the base of the plant.

Spotted leaves with tiny baby plants 
My husband knows that I adore growing and caring for plants so, after a rough day, he bought me a “cactus” from Kroger because there was not other living …