Kalanchoe daigremontiana - Mother of Thousands - 1L / 14cm / Small
$20.00Kalanchoe daigremontiana, commonly known as Mother of Thousands, is a dramatic and fast-growing succulent famous for the tiny plantlets that form along the edges of each leaf. These baby clones eventually drop off and root wherever they land, giving the plant its common name. With thick, blue-green leaves marked by purplish undersides and saw-toothed margins, it makes a striking and slightly alien-looking addition to sunny windowsills or dry garden pots.
Native to Madagascar, Mother of Thousands thrives on neglect and is ideal for those new to succulents—but it can also spread quickly if given too much space. Best grown in containers to control its enthusiastic self-propagation.
Toxic if ingested.
Comprehensive Care Instructions for Kalanchoe Mother of Thousands
Lighting Requirements
Indoors: Requires bright, direct light for best growth. A north-facing window in New Zealand (or a sun-drenched windowsill) is ideal.
Outdoors: Grow in full sun to part shade. In warm climates, protect from intense afternoon sun to avoid leaf burn.
Watering Regimen
Active Growing Season (Spring to Autumn):
Water thoroughly when the top 3–5cm of soil is dry. Always allow the pot to drain fully.
Dormant Period (Winter):
Water sparingly—once every 2–3 weeks may be sufficient. Ensure soil is dry before re-watering.
Temperature & Humidity
Performs best in warm, dry conditions between 18°C–27°C.
Protect from frost—bring indoors if temperatures drop below 10°C. Avoid high humidity environments, which can encourage rot.
Fertilizing
Feed lightly every 4–6 weeks during spring and summer with a cactus or succulent fertiliser. No feeding is needed in winter.
Propagation & Containment
Mother of Thousands naturally produces plantlets along leaf margins. These will fall and root readily.
To manage spread, grow in containers and remove unwanted offsets regularly.
Plantlets can be potted up individually if desired.
Repotting & Soil
Repot yearly in spring if the plant outgrows its pot.
Use a fast-draining cactus mix or a combination of potting soil, sand and perlite.
Pests & Troubleshooting
Generally pest-free but may attract aphids or mealybugs in crowded or overly moist conditions.
Yellowing leaves often indicate overwatering. Remove any mushy or damaged growth promptly.
Important Note: Caution with Children & Pets
Despite its popularity, this plant is toxic if ingested and can cause serious symptoms in pets or small children. Keep out of reach and handle with care.
Plant Size Guide
The plant in the photos is an example and an approximate guide only however we try to show an average sized example. Sizes, flowering state and colours change throughout the seasons and variation will occur. In summer & autumn, plants are often larger or the same size as than the example picture but around winter and spring, they can be a little smaller but still at a size similar to the example. We aim to update the pictures to reflect significant differences.
Plant Heights - because the plant's foliage must fit inside our Plant Cartons, the actual height of a plant's central trunk (meristem) will be shorter than the box it fits in.
Small Plants - 14cm wide nursery pot - 1 Litre volume - Plants fit in a 50cm tall box.
Medium Plants - 17cm wide pots either 2L hanging pot or 2.5L nursery pot - Plants fit in a 75cm tall box.
Large Plants - 25cm wide pot, 10L volume. Plants fit in a 100cm tall box.
XL Plants - Plants over 100cm tall in pot sizes specified, 25cm/10L or greater and are hand delivered within Auckland/Northland only.
Dispatch Times
Plant courier orders are processed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.
North Island orders are targeted overnight delivery, South Island orders are sent on a 2-day target but these are not a guaranteed delivery timeframe.
Add 1 extra day after a public holiday as well as for rural addresses or remote towns.
Monday - We send orders placed on previous Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Tuesday - We send Weekend orders from previous Saturday & Sunday.
Wednesday - We send orders placed from Monday & Tuesday.
XL Plants are delivered only within urban Auckland & Whangarei and this service is for non-urgent orders. This excludes satellite destinations such as Beachlands, Pukekohe, Piha, Helensville etc and Whangarei Heads. We may deliver at any time Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Thursday in Auckland and you need to have a sheltered accessible position for us to deliver to.
Plants in Transit
Each Small, Medium & Large plant is individually contained within its own protective cardboard Plant Carton which may be joined to other cartons in your order.
Plants typically take just a day or two to arrive, however they are usually fine in their cartons for 1-2 weeks, and many can go longer, so a few extra days are not usually cause for concern.
Whether it takes 1 or 7 days, let your plant recover from its journey by placing in gentle light and adding a little water and it will be back to its best within a couple of days. Let us know if there are any major issues via the contact page.
