What do you know about kalanchoe fedtschenkoi? If you don’t know it, you should, because it is a very pretty succulent and very easy to maintain and reproduce. But what should you know about her?
Below we leave you a file on the kalanchoe fedtschenkoi so that you can know it in depth and know everything it needs, as well as its uses, care… Let’s start?
Contents
How is kalanchoe fedtschenkoi
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, also known as lavender scallops, is a plant native to Madagascar. However, it can easily be found all over the world, including Spain.
Its strange name is due to the botanist Boris Fedtschenko.
It does not grow much, although it is normal for it to reach 30-80 centimeters. Now, what features does it have? We tell you:
Stem
The stem does not have much to say, because it is completely smooth and rounded. It is quite stable, although strong enough to support the plant (at least up to about 30 cm). In fact, when it doubles, it can continue to grow horizontally. Of course, at this time it is very common for it to develop roots to continue growing and multiplying.
The leaves come out of it, and when they fall off, small scars remain.
Leaves
As for the leaves, being a succulent plant, these are usually fleshy and smooth. They are wider at the base of the trunk and narrower at the ends, arriving at a point.
But perhaps the most beautiful thing about kalanchoe fedtschenkoi is the color these leaves have as they are usually bluish-green, creamy-pink, or purple-pink. And that makes it very showy when it comes to having it in the garden.
Also, we must tell you that the leaves generally have curves at the margins (they are said to be scalloped).
flowers
Well yes, this succulent is flowering. Moreover, it does it in a spectacular and very beautiful way since it produces tubular flowers that fall downwards. Normally it comes out a stem from which small clusters of pink flowers come out, although sometimes they can have another color.
However, they are not as beautiful as the leaves themselves.
it’s toxic
Let’s elaborate a bit more. The plant contains bufadienolides. This means that it is not toxic to humans. But this is not the case with cats.
If we approach it, it consumes it, etc. the normal thing is that it starts having abnormal heart rhythms, and can even, if you have ingested too much of it, be life-threatening.
Other symptoms you may have are gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea, vomiting, or pain.
Therefore, if you have a cat at home, it does not mean that you cannot have this plant, but we advise you to place it in a place where your animal cannot access to avoid endangering it.
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi care
We introduced you to the kalanchoe fedtschenkoi (if you didn’t know it before) and after seeing some pictures, you will surely like it very much and maybe you want it for your home. It is a very simple plant to maintain, since you will not have to pay much attention to it when you meet the needs it has. It can be perfect for beginners because it multiplies so easily and quickly that you don’t need much knowledge. But what do you need?
Location
If you told us to choose the outside or the inside for the kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, we would tell you that, without a doubt, the outside. And it is that this plant needs a lot of direct sun, as much as you can give it.
That doesn’t mean you can’t have it inside; in fact it can be, but always in the brightest area and with several hours of light (the experts speak of having at least 6 hours of direct sunlight).
A tip to know if it is getting enough light is to see the colors of the leaves. If they are very off or disappear, it is because there is a lack of light.
Temperature
As good a succulent as it is, it tolerates heat and cold very well. But be careful, because if the temperature drops below -4°C, you can suffer.
Ditto if there are persistent frosts. Does this mean that if one day it drops to this temperature, it dies? No, if they are sporadic nothing will happen, but you need to make sure it is not constant.
Substrate
To keep your kalanchoe fedtschenkoi healthy and happy, you will need soil suitable for this plant. So start by having good drainage and good soil for cacti and succulents (although personally I used a universal substrate and that worked too).
Some also mix in a little coconut husk, or orchid soil, so that the substrate is much looser (it doesn’t like anything that gets compacted).
Irrigation
As for irrigation, the truth is that you shouldn’t be very aware of it either. It is better to water it little than to spend it, because you can provoke the appearance of fungus or rotting of the roots.
Only water when the plant needs it. In winter, nothing, because the humidity should be sufficient (if you live in a temperate climate, you can water once a month). In the summer, once a week or more would be more than enough.
Subscriber
It is not necessary, because the kalanchoe fedtschenkoi does not need it. But if you want to give it some fertilizer, it is best to use organic and only once a year, in spring or summer.
Plagues and diseases
Scale insects, aphids, red mites… The truth is that it can suffer from many pests and that you will have to keep at a distance so that they do not affect your plant. For this we advise you to keep it clean of dry leaves, ventilated and protected.
In case of appearance, apply 70% alcohol to clean the leaves, the trunk and the whole plant in general. Other options are neem oil, garlic, or hot pepper spray.
Multiplication
The fastest and easiest way to reproduce kalanchoe fedtschenkoi is to take stem cuttings. These root very easily and you just have to plant them and wait to see them sprout new leaves.
However, this is not the only method. You can also do this with the leaves themselves (the best ones are those from the lower part of the trunk). You need to put them in the shade for 3-4 days and then plant them. Within a few days you will see that they appear around the edges like little flowers. From there will come a new factory.
Apps
To end this file, we want to tell you about the uses of kalanchoe fedtschenkoi. Because yes, it has more uses apart from the decorative one itself (both for the exterior and for the interior).
One of them has to do with roots. As we have already told you, it is a plant that takes root very easily and also quickly. As soon as it touches the ground, any stem develops roots to continue growing.
And these roots are those which have another use than to fix the plant. Specifically, they are used to treat problems related to parasitic worms. That is, they are used to expel worms from the body.
Of course, we haven’t found what the process looks like, so we should learn more about using it (and not using it at will).
Now that you know more about kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, would you dare to keep it at home? If you’re a beginner, this is a plant you won’t have any problems with, as it pretty much takes care of itself. In return, it offers you a variety of colors and shades that attract a lot of attention. What do you think?