Desert surprise

Desert surprise Care

Kalanchoe humilis 'Desert Surprise'

Other names: Kalanchoe Humilis Cv. Desert Surprise Britten, Spotted Kalanchoe, Penwiper, Penwiper Plant, Baby Penwiper, Stipped Kalanchoe

What is the plant

This succulent shrub can perfectly decorate your home with its thick green leaves with blurry purple spots and may delight you with its unusual flowers. Besides, it is pretty easy to care for and even has healing properties.

Kalanchoe Humilis, also known as Desert Surprise, can be found in the tropics and subtropics of Australia and Africa, and its place of origin is Madagascar. Its leaves are thick and fleshy, egg-shaped. It can grow up to 3 ft ( 0.9 m) tall, blooms for quite a long time, and the flowers are small and have different shades: white, red, yellow, or soft pink. Its healing properties are because this succulent contains many nutrients: organic acids, vitamins, and minerals. It is also safe for humans and animals.

If you’ve recognized any mistakes feel free to notify us about it. This would help us to provide only the best-quality information.

Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

10°C - 12°C

Hardiness zone

8a - 10b

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Use cooled settled water, water once a week in summer and spring and once every two weeks in summer and autumn. Soil should be moist but not wet. Also, it's better not to give enough water to your kalanchoe, rather than overwater it.
Pruning
Kalanchoe doesn't require pruning. But it is a good idea to remove dead leaves.
Fertilizer
It would be best to fertilize it once a week in summer, using fertilizers for succulents, but this succulent shouldn't be fertilized in winter.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Sunlight
This plant prefers bright light and should get at least 6 hours of it every day. So it would be better to place it on your windowsill.
Soil
Choose a soil for succulents or cactuses. Also, you should have good drainage.
Propagation
You can propagate it via cuttings by removing a large part of the stem, drying up a bit for a week, and then planting it in well-drained soil or by planting seeds in and denting them into a soil a bit, but they shouldn't be covered with it, then placing a plastic film over them and keeping a temperature between 65-72 ˚F (18-22°C)

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Temperature
The temperature should be 65-80 ˚F (18-25 °C) in the summer. In the winter not below 50 - 53 ˚F (10-12 °C).
Container
You can choose any container you like. The only requirement is that your pot has a lot of drainage holes, so there won't be any excess water.
Fun fact
This plant has many names that it received for its medical properties: surgeon without a knife, room doctor, room ginseng, and the tree of life.