Air Plant
Kalanchoe pinnata
Also known as the 'Miracle Leaf', a single detached leaf can produce dozens of fully formed baby plantlets along its edges even when suspended in mid-air.
- Scientific name
- Kalanchoe pinnata
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Saxifragales › Crassulaceae › Kalanchoe
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical dry forests, rainforest margins, shrublands, and rocky slopes
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis via Crassulacean Acid Metabolism)
- Range
- Madagascar, Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Tropical Asia, Australia
- Size
- 30 to 120 cm (1 to 4 feet) tall
- Lifespan
- Perennial (indefinite through vegetative cloning)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- None major; it is highly adaptable and considered an invasive weed in many introduced tropical regions.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch and safe to observe at any distance. However, the plant contains cardiac glycosides and is highly toxic if ingested. Keep away from pets and livestock; seek medical or veterinary attention immediately if consumed.
Bryophyllum pinnatum , also known as the air plant , cathedral bells , life plant , miracle leaf , and Goethe plant is a succulent plant native to Madagascar, which is a popular houseplant and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas. It is distinctive for the profusion of miniature plantlets that form on the margins of its phylloclades, a trait it has in common with some other members of its genus.
Photo: 葉子, CC0, via iNaturalist
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