by hankinslawrenceimages | Jan 30, 2017 | Crassulaceae Family
Every now and then, I see a plant at a garden and go – Wow – what is that. And then once you’ve identified it – you never forget what it is. Mother of Thousands (kalanche X houghtonii) is one of those plants. A member of the Crassulaceae or Stonecrop family, it probably is descended from plants originally native to Madagascar. It is considered an environmental weed in parts of Australia, where it is ileagal to own or plant in parts of the country. Mother of Thousands is very poisonous to both humans and livestock.
All that said – it sure is fun to see in a garden where it can be cultivated under controlled circumstances 🙂
Mother of Thousands © 2017 Patty Hankins
Mother of Thousands © 2017 Patty Hankins
Mother of Thousands © 2017 Patty Hankins
Mother of Thousands © 2017 Patty Hankins
Mother of Thousands © 2017 Patty Hankins
Mother of Thousands © 2017 Patty Hankins
by hankinslawrenceimages | Feb 15, 2012 | Crassulaceae Family, Flowers
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Mother of Thousands plants are one of those plants that once you know what they are – you never forget them. From the combination of colors in the flowers to the structure of the plants – they are unforgetable!
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Members of the stonecrop (crassulaceae) family, the variety I photographed are related to a plant native to Madagascar. The cultivated garden variety has significantly more flowers on each stalk than any photo I’ve seen of the native variety. The ones I photographed were identified at Kalanchoe X houghtonii.
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Care should be taken if you have either the native or cultivated varieities of the plant in your home. All parts of the plants are poisonous. It can be fatal to small children and animals if ingested. Some sites recommend wearing gloves when handling the seeds.
© 2012 Patty Hankins
In places where Mother of Thousands is not native – it can quickly become a noxious invasive species. Each of the thousands of seeds can quickly grow into a full sized plant spreading more seeds. Each unwanted plant needs to be removed by hand – making sure not to knock any seeds onto the ground – or else new plants will sprout. The plants should not be added to compost piles – or else the seeds will spread when the compost is used.
© 2012 Patty Hankins
