Kalanchoe thyrsiflora?

Josh

Seen more often in the trade, Kalanchoe luciae.

Thanks for the replies! Seems there's a bit of confusion that might interest you, Josh, at least it did me. One of these days it'll make a flower to seal the ID. Seems no doubt it's a Kalanchoe, though, TY x2!

Here is a link that might be useful: name/ID confusion of this plant

purp,

You should score yourself extra points since it's in the Crassulaceae

I was just shootin' from the hip...well, shootin' from a hazy memory of the last time this plant came up ;-)
Yeah, I'm aware of the confusion between these two main look-alikes...and the name "luciae" always makes me think of the more colorful version, and I guess I looked at the green plant in your pics and thought it wasn't colorful enough. Thus, I guessed the greener of the two.

Josh

Put your plant out in the sun and see if it turns red on the edges. If it does , it is K. luciai. I see a bit of red on the edge. It is hardy to upper 20's. It will get leaf damage at 27 and come back from the roots. Best to protect it from any good frost . Mine is out in the wild to around 30F. I play with the winter sun bringing my plant in and out because the winter sun makes this plant so beautifully colored and it is sending out a flower stalk.

Given that these are tropical succulents (most Kalanchoes are), it's best to protect them from any frost, sign of frost or hint of same.

Of all of the non-cold-hardy Crassulaceae, I have found that Kalanchoes are the least likely to live through a frost / short freeze, but this is based on just the Madagascar ones (which tend to be a touchy lot when cold's concerned).

This post was edited by cactusmcharris on Mon, Nov 4, 13 at 8:48

Poor abused plant

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Thanks for the inputs! It is really green but sounds unlikely that I found the more unusual one at WM. It's out in the sun but I don't know if it'll have time to turn red before it gets too cold.

Wanton. that's pretty!!

Mine was really green this summer when I had it out of the summer sun under a tree.

I also grow them fairly dry.

This plant is in this stuff, so going to leave it and see how it does. I don't think it will need a drink inside at all once I bring it in.

purp,

As long as it's warm and somewhat sunny, your Kalanchoe will want to grow. I'd get it out of that muck and pot it into your succulent mix, wait a few days and give it some water. You'll see growth happening soon.

How exciting! I wonder if mine is one of the above.

I salvaged some succulents at my nephew's wedding in mid September. They were in bouquets and so pretty. I am not much of a succulent person besides your basic jade and aloe but couldn't bear to see them thrown away. I took a few. Of course, I wanted them all but had the hubby telling me that I shouldn't be taking so many of them...you know - the nagging kind. Yes, he's always getting in my way of plants...haha!

I had to remove the florist tape and wire. Hoping for the best (because the succulents were cut to the quick and were pierced in the middle with a florist stick) I potted them up and am glad to see I have a bloom coming. Of course, I have now expanded my succulent collection. I lost 2 but the rest seems to be okay. What an exciting ride.

It will bloom for most of the winter and then one can cut the blossom stem back and it will push out a bunch of babies from the base. After awhile I trim off most and let the energy go to just a few. and then we are off to the races again. Mine has already been through the cycle three or four times.

Should I put it outside? It's been inside since Sept 24th when I started to root it.

Sorry about the blurred picture...not sure why that happened

I do not know your weather. If I took it out , I would put it in the sun slowly because one does not want to shock it and burn it. I would bring it in above frost because of its size and it is freshly rooted with not many roots. These plants like sun especially when it is not blasting hot out.

All my succulents are in a huge period of growth here in Texas. I am complaining about the cold because it is 59 out and wet. I don't feel like working in my unheated shop (read self employed). Low tonight is 63 low on Thursday is 39 and then back up. I never take my eye off of Weather Underground this time of year. I know , I will finish making my rolling outdoor 6' bench. It rolls my plants in and out from my porch for those bad @ssed cold fronts.

Jeff, thanks, and usually I would have done that already, but it's not mucky, or a hard brick, even though part of the name of what it's in is peat. It's not at all like the peat I've known. Plant looks so happy, and I don't have anything else to put it in @ the moment. I think it will be OK until March. That pot should fit on a windowsill, one I don't close the blinds of at night.

Camellia, good luck!!
-Tiffany

Tiffany,

You know, I do that too. It's not prime grow time here anyway (November, followed by D/J/F - ugh!) so that's a wise course. Still, it continually surprises me what grows here in the winter, with pups sticking their heads out for the first to and growth on plant you'd think would be taking it easy, given the relative lack of sun for most of the time.

Morning...

Purple, I see veins/coloring in the foliage. More sun should brighten up your Crassula.

Jeff, you said some succulents are tropical succulents, ex, Kalanchoes.

If you don't mind, which other succulents would fit in the tropical catagory?

Toni

Toni,

A number of Aloes grow in tropical conditions, as do Burseras, Ceropegias, Pachypodiums and Bromeliads, of course. But for almost all of these examples cited, you could find other species within the genus which are arid / desert plants.

San Marcus growers has this Kalanchoe luciae rated 25F - 30F, DG has it 20F (don't believe it ) Maybe root hardy coming back to life a year later. I think 25 will get a plant totally devoid of leaves and hard year of regrowth. Maybe all the dead leaves will act as insulation. Here's hoping.

Here in Texas we dive bomb down to winter lows and then rise quickly with the sun. If temps go down slowly and stay close to a low, You will have a bad result maybe. Maybe on the other hand, the shock of the quick dive bomb down is what kills not allowing a plant ti harden up. Still scratching my head. Then , one could forgo all this head scratching by bringing it in when temps get at all close and it is you guys who sleep well at night. I am always pressing the envelope and tossing in my sleep, wondering about a forgotten plant..

This post was edited by wantonamara on Tue, Nov 5, 13 at 13:59

Turning a nice color at the edges, getting some direct sun.