Prior to consulting Mr. G, I am confused with mother of thousands and mother of millions – two succulents from Kalanchoe genus. But I think this plant I’m featuring in the post is a mother of thousands.
This plant has a story. It was given to me by my colleague, a fellow plant addict. The mother plant is from another colleagues hometown (Nueva Ecija). This baby was previously placed in my desk along with some other succulents. However, it was not growing properly there due to insufficient sunlight. So, I decided to bring it home. Before, it has a very slim stem and unhealthy leaves. Now, it’s growing like a normal mother of thousands 🙂
Based on my research, here’s how to spot the difference between the two:
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THE SHAPE OF THEIR LEAVES – sublimesucculents.com
Mother of Thousands has a broad, tear-shaped leaves. They always grow in pairs, each leaf on opposite sides of the stem. The next pair of leaves rotates 90 degrees, so that the new leaves do not block the sun from the old ones! Great! This leaf pattern is actually common in plants, and helps ensure all the leaves get enough sunlight. Each leaf has little ridges on the edge- this is where the baby plantlets form.
Mother of Millions, on the other hand, has very narrow leaves. It has four leaves that all grown from the same of the stem. These don’t alternate like the Mother of Thousands. The plantets on these leaves only grow at the end of the leaf, near the tip. Mother of Millions is considered a toxid weed in Australia and Africa because it grows rapidly, even in the most adverse weather conditions.
Now I know!