Houseplant · Crassulaceae
Mother of Thousands
Kalanchoe daigremontiana
An easy succulent that raises its own babies along every leaf edge, but keep it well away from pets.
Bright indirect
50–86°F · 10–30°C
USDA 9–11
12–35 in · 30–90 cm
Overview
Mother of thousands earns its name the moment you look at it. Along the scalloped edge of each leaf sits a row of tiny, ready-made plantlets, each one already growing little roots. It comes from the dry southwest of Madagascar, and like most succulents it stores water in its fleshy, blue-green leaves and asks for very little in return.
As a houseplant it is hard to kill and easy to share. Give it a bright window and a gritty pot, and it grows steadily into an upright plant of 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm). The catch is the same trait that makes it charming. Those plantlets drop off and root in any pot they reach, so it spreads fast and has naturalized in warm regions where it never should have escaped.
One thing sets this plant apart from a friendly succulent like jade or echeveria. Every part of it holds bufadienolides, cardiac glycosides that are toxic to pets and people alike. It is a fine plant for a home without animals or small children, but somewhere they can't reach it is the safest place for it.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, a gritty fast-draining mix, and water only once the soil has dried out completely. Feed lightly in the growing season, keep it warm, and pick off the plantlets before they take over.
Light
Give it bright indirect light and it grows compact and well colored. It puts up with some partial sun, but harsh afternoon glare scorches the leaves, while too little light leaves it pale and stretched.
Water
Water like the succulent it is. Soak the soil thoroughly, then let it dry out completely before the next drink, and cut back further through winter dormancy. Standing moisture is the fast track to root rot, which this plant is prone to.
Soil
Plant it in a gritty cactus or succulent mix that drains in seconds. Ordinary potting soil holds far too much water around the roots, so a pot with a drainage hole matters as much as the mix.
Temperature
Keep it in the range of 50°F to 86°F (10°C to 30°C), which suits most rooms year round. It is not frost hardy, so bring it in well before the cold arrives if it has spent summer outside.
Humidity
Low humidity is exactly what it wants, so there is no number to chase and no need to mist. Average dry indoor air suits it better than a steamy spot.
Feeding
Feed lightly from spring through summer, about once a month, with a diluted balanced or cactus fertilizer. It grows fine on very little, so go easy and skip feeding through the winter rest.
Pruning
Pinch back leggy stems to keep the plant tidy and snip off spent flower stalks. The important job is removing the tiny plantlets along the leaf edges before they drop, or you will find seedlings in every nearby pot.
Repotting
Move it up a pot size every 2 to 3 years or once it crowds its container. Roots poking through the drainage holes, the plant lifting out of the pot, and water rushing straight through all tell you it is time.
Size & spacing
Indoors it reaches 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) tall with a spread of 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm). Give it a little elbow room so the dropped plantlets don't root into whatever sits beside it.
Troubleshooting
Almost every problem with this plant comes back to water or light. Too much of one rots the roots, too little of the other stretches it pale and thin. Match what you see below and fix the cause, not just the symptom.
Mushy black stems and wilting even though the soil is wet
This is root rot, and it almost always traces back to overwatering in soil that holds too much moisture. Lift the plant and you will find roots that are brown, soft, and foul-smelling. Cut away every rotted piece, repot into a dry gritty mix, and hold off watering until the plant firms back up.
Fix:
- Cut away all rotted tissue
- Repot into dry gritty succulent mix
- Withhold water until the plant recovers
White cottony fluff and a sticky film on the leaves
Those cottony clusters in the leaf joints are mealybugs, and the sticky residue is what they leave behind. Dab each one with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol, then follow up with insecticidal soap to catch the rest. Check new plants and keep them apart for a while before they join your others.
Fix:
- Wipe with isopropyl alcohol on a swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap
Brown scorched patches on the leaves
Harsh afternoon sun scorches the leaves, leaving dry brown patches on the side that faces the window. Move the plant into bright indirect light and keep it out of the hot midday glare. If you want it in a sunnier spot, ease it into direct sun a little at a time so it can adjust.
Fix:
- Move to bright indirect light
- Avoid the hot midday sun
Pale, stretched growth with big gaps between the leaves
When the light runs short, the plant reaches for it and turns leggy, with pale stems and leaves spaced far apart. New growth leaning toward the window is the giveaway. Shift it to a brighter spot with bright indirect light and turn the pot now and then so it grows even.
Fix:
- Move to a brighter spot with bright indirect light
- Rotate the pot periodically
Toxicity
Treat this plant as toxic to every animal in your home. All of it holds bufadienolides, cardiac glycosides that bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in any real amount can throw off the heartbeat. No part is safe to eat, the sap can irritate skin, so keep it well out of reach of pets and small children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
Cats that nibble the leaves usually start drooling and vomiting, with loose stools soon after. A larger mouthful is the real worry, since the bufadienolides can throw off the heartbeat.
Dogs Toxic
Look for heavy drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea within a few hours of chewing. The same heart-rhythm danger applies once a dog swallows a good amount, so call the vet rather than wait it out.
Horses Toxic
Horses are hit hard by the cardiac glycosides. The plant brings on drooling and a churning gut first, and a real dose can disturb the heartbeat enough to be life-threatening.
Rabbits Toxic
Keep it well away from rabbits. The same toxin upsets the gut and strains the heart, and a small animal needs only a little to get into trouble.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep can be poisoned where this plant escapes into pasture, with stomach upset giving way to dangerous heart effects in quantity.
Birds Toxic
Treat it as off-limits for birds. Their small size means even a nibble of the leaf can deliver a meaningful dose of the heart-acting glycosides.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant to be eaten, and the bufadienolides make it unsafe to taste. The sap can also irritate the skin, so wear gloves and keep it out of reach of small children.
Sap can cause contact dermatitis; wear gloves when handling the plant or removing plantlets.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
There is really one variety worth knowing beyond the species itself, a hybrid that took the parent's spreading habit even further.
Kalanchoe × houghtonii
A hybrid of K. daigremontiana and K. delagoensis with narrower leaves that spreads even more aggressively and has become a global invader.
How to propagate
You will never struggle to make more of this plant. In fact the harder job is stopping it, since it propagates itself whether you help or not.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Spring · 2-4 weeks
The marginal plantlets fall away with tiny roots already formed and take hold wherever they land, settling in within 2 to 4 weeks in spring. Propagation is effortless, which is the very reason the plant spreads so freely. Sweep up any you don't want before they root.
Leaf cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 3-6 weeks
Lay a whole leaf on gritty mix in spring or summer and it sprouts plantlets and roots along the edges over the next 3 to 6 weeks. Keep the mix barely moist, since too much water rots the leaf before it can establish.
Myths
Mother of thousands is safe around pets because it is a common houseplant.
Being common in homes says nothing about being safe. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs because of bufadienolides, cardiac glycosides that upset the gut and can disturb the heartbeat. Keep it out of reach of every animal in the house.
The plantlets are harmless and will not spread.
Each tiny plantlet drops off carrying roots of its own and takes hold wherever it lands. That is exactly how the plant spreads so fast and naturalizes across warm regions, so sweep up the fallen ones rather than leaving them.