Mother of thousands: species, plant care & propagation

Mother of thousands, also known as devil’s backbone or alligator plant, reproduces in a fascinating way – buds emerge from the leaves and turn into new plants, earning it the name ‘mother of thousands’.

Even Goethe had a mother of thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) and was so enthusiastic about this plant that his name is still associated with some species of this group of plants. He wrote about the cultivation of the young mother of thousands: “Planted flat on good ground, notice how it takes root!”. Even though mother of thousands is definitely one of the very easy to care for houseplants, there are a few things you should keep in mind when growing and caring for them. You can find out how to cultivate this special plant yourself, what location is best for mother of thousands and what healing properties are associated with it in this special article.

Mother of thousands: flower, origin and characteristics

Mother of thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) represents a section in the plant genus of Kalanchoe, which in turn is a member of the family Crassulaceae. Mother of thousands includes about 35 species, almost all of which originate from Madagascar and also occur naturally only there. On the island, the plants grow up to 2 m high. But don’t worry: in containers here, the mother of thousands usually remains much smaller than 1 m.

Usually mother of thousands is cultivated as houseplants as a perennial, but it does not tolerate frost.
The peculiarity of these plants can be seen in the name ‘devil’s backbone’: In the indentations of the fleshy, usually greenish leaves are often sit small buds, so-called nodules. These eventually form roots, fall off and are thus responsible for the enormous reproductive capacity of the plant. If you have a mother of thousands on your windowsill, the neighbouring pots will soon be teeming with other small ones as well.

As with many plants that originate in tropical regions, the mother of thousands is a short-day plant. This means they need short days with a maximum of 8 to 9 hours of light to go into bloom. Thus, the flowering period of mother of thousands in our country falls in the winter. Large, tubular, usually pendulous flowers, usually reddish or purple in colour, develop between December and March.

Mother of thousands species at a glance

Different species of mother of thousands differ, sometimes significantly, in their growth and leaf shape. However, what most have in common is propagation via breeding buds formed on their leaves. We present some perennial species available in our store:

• Goethe’s plant (Kalanchoe pinnata): Goethe had a specimen of this plant, although the name “Goethe’s plant” is used today equally for some other species. Kalanchoe pinnata usually grows up to 1.20 m tall in our area and often grows somewhat leggy, thus forming rather long shoots. The leaves are ovate below, pinnate above, and the flowers appear in green-red.

• Kalanchoë daigremontiana: Kalanchoë daigremontiana remains somewhat smaller than Kalanchoe pinnata at about 60 cm. The leaves are triangular pointed and can grow up to 30 cm long. The flowers are purple in colour. Kalanchoë daigremontiana has an even greater reproductive drive than the Goethe plant and produces significantly more seedlings.

• Candelabrum plant (Kalanchoe tubiflora): Candelabrum plant is characterised by its red-orange flowers, which hang together in panicles and are responsible for the name. The leaves are also unusual. They are roundish, with a diameter of only about 0.5 cm – but they are up to 13 cm long. Only at the tips of the leaves do breeding buds develop.

Location and planting

Mother of thousands like it warm and extra sunny. An ideal location is, for example, a sunny windowsill, preferably with direct sunlight. Since devil’s backbone are succulents, they do not tolerate waterlogging at all. Therefore, the substrate is essential for the successful cultivation of devil’s backbone. It should be permeable and not too rich in nutrients.

In any case, it is best to place your mother of thousands in a new pot after purchase. Often the pots in which you buy the plants are too small and not filled with the right substrate for further culture. If you follow a few pointers, planting devil’s backbone is easy to do.

1. As a planter, it is best to choose an earthenware pot with a diameter of 15-20 cm. It is important that the pot has at least one drainage hole in the bottom.
2. At the bottom, fill the pot with a drainage layer about 5 cm high. This can include, for example, gravel, shards of clay or grit.
3. Then on top of it comes some of your substrate. A good homemade mix consists of our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost and sand, crushed expanded clay or gravel in a 1:1 ratio.
4. Place the root ball of your devil’s backbone on top of it, and then fill the rest of the pot with substrate. Lightly press everything and water the plant well once.

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The correct mother of thousands care

Compared to many other houseplants, the mother of thousands is truly a low-maintenance candidate.

A crucial factor in the care of mother of thousands is correct watering. The general rule here is: Better too little than too much. Before the next watering the substrate must be almost completely dry. A good indicator is to stick your finger a little into the pot at the edge. Only when the soil there feels completely dry, it is time for the next watering.

Mother of thousands do not need a lot of nutrients, but over time the substrate becomes impoverished. If you have used a pre-fertilised soil such as our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost for planting, fertilisation will not be necessary in the first year. Starting from the second year, a little organic slow-release fertiliser can always be incorporated around the devil’s backbone in the spring. We recommend in this case our Plantura All Purpose Plant Food. This is a balanced fertiliser that is completely animal-free and safe for pets. For devil’s backbone, it is quite enough to apply 3 to 4 g of it per litre of pot volume.

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You do not have to prune a mother of thousands, but you can do so if the plant becomes too sparse or individual shoots bother you. The best time for pruning is in the spring after flowering. Then you can shorten overly long parts by a third, and old shoots that no longer have leaves in the lower part, cut back to just above the surface of the substrate. With some species, skin contact with the plant sap can cause skin irritation – so it’s better to wear gloves.

As a houseplant, mother of thousands can remain indoors year-round. In summer, it also does them good if you put them outside in a sheltered, sunny place. But that only works as long as the temperatures are still in double digits, even at night. Slowly accustom your mother of thousands to fresh air and sun: put the plant outside for only a few hours at first, and not in the blazing midday sun. Otherwise, your mother of thousands may get sunburned.

In winter, mother of thousands should be placed in a cool place. The temperature must never fall below 10 °C. To stimulate flowering, it is also important that the mother of thousands is in a room that is unlit in the evening and night.

Tip: Every 2 to 3 years, the devil’s backbone should be repotted. However, it is often not worth it, as older plants become increasingly unattractive and do not branch as well. Instead, it is better to grow new seedlings in time, which will again have a beautiful appearance.

Caring for mother of thousands at a glance:

• Watering is not necessary until the substrate is completely dry. Then you should water once thoroughly and remove excess water from the saucer after a few minutes.
• Fertilising must be done no more than once a year in the spring with an organic slow-release fertiliser.
• To limit the growth or remove unsightly shoots, you can cut devil’s backbone in the spring.
• As long as temperatures are still above 10 °C at night, devil’s backbone may stand outside.

Propagation of mother of thousands

Most mother of thousands species reproduce without much intervention. So it may happen that suddenly in all sorts of pots near your devil’s backbone you find small offshoots growing. If you want to specifically attract new devil’s backbone, you can do it anytime between spring and fall. To do this, you can either pick up freshly fallen off nodules, or strip nodules that are already beginning to form roots from the mother plant. Then place them in a tray filled with moistened growing soil and sand or gravel. Place them in a bright, airy place out of direct sunlight. There, the nodules usually take root within a few days. Until the seedlings have grown, it is important that the substrate is not allowed to dry out. Therefore, check regularly and, if necessary, moisten the soil with a spray bottle. After 3 to 6 months you already have plants of a decent size.

Effects and use as a medicinal plant

For a long time, mother of thousandse has been used as a medicinal plant in the traditional medicine of many southern countries. Recent studies demonstrate, among other things, the effect of Kalanchoe (also known as Bryophyllum) on the mind. For example, extracts of the leaves can calm the activity of the central nervous system. Studies on traditional applications have only been conducted in the laboratory or on animals. Positive effects of Kalanchoe on inflammation, infection, and weakened immune system were also found. But beware: only extracts are ever used in medicine – eating the whole leaves of the devil’s backbone can be toxic.

Is the mother of thousands poisonous?

Most mother of thousands are only mildly toxic. For example, if a child accidentally ingests a single nodule , this usually has no effect. Nevertheless, you should avoid consuming it for safety. For pets such as dogs and cats, mother of thousands are just as easily poisonous.

Another special, but still rather unknown houseplant is Alocasia zebrina. It has arrow-shaped leaves and striped shoots. With a few tips, the cultivation of this tropical plant in the apartment is also possible without difficulty.