(I actually have 2 issues so I hope it's okay that I chose this part of the forum.) The first is to find out what this plant is, and the other is to find out what seems to be killing it.

It seems to love moisture and direct sunlight, and blooms pretty much year round with these pretty red flowers as long as I cut the dead ones back after they bloom.

It's been fine up until several months ago when I started noticing black spots on the leaves and stems. The leaves fall off very easily if you even bump the plant, and seem to be dying right at the spot where the leaf meets the stem. About a week ago I spotted a little tiny brown spider near the plant, which I killed, but I haven't seen another one. I got a MiracleGrow insect spray, but it's not doing any good.

I'm rather desperate - I've been struggling to keep this plant alive for the last 9 years because it was given to me when my dad died. I nursed it back to health after it died all but one stem that I kept in a dixie cup! What seemed to do the trick was keeping it at my in-laws house which is right on the beach. Three months in the warm humid air made it flourish seemingly overnight.

Thanks for any help!

That is Kalanchoe and its pretty difficult to get them to re-bloom(for me anyway)
I dont know what the spots are.

Maybe a fungus? Mold? Since the bug spray isnt helping I'm guessing things other than bugs.

Oh my gosh, THANK YOU!!! It's been driving me nuts for YEARS what this plant was!

It never bloomed for me either, in the 9 years I had it. It bloomed the week my daughter was born and has had flowers ever since.

'welcome.
**thinking***given to you when dad died, blooming since daughter was born..... hmmmmm. Gardening from 'the other side'.....

Heh.. I didn't want to say that (people think I'm nuts) but.. my friends think it's my dad's way of saying hello to his granddaughter.

I think so too!

I agree with that theory!

The leaf drop could be a sign of over-watering. Let it dry out thoroughly between waterings. And from what I've read after a dormant period the trick to getting it to start flowering again is shorter light days. Keep it in the closet or box from 4 or 5 in the evening until the next morning, then plenty of light for the day.

Another way to keep it going might be to clip a good 4-6" of new growth, take the bottom leaves off of that and plunk it in some potting soil . It is a succulent, I think, so maybe a special soil.

Kalanchoes are succulents so either cactus soil or regular soil with sand or perlite addes.
"to propogate take tip cuttings in spring and root them in 3"pots filled with a sand &peat moss mix. Place in a warm place with bright filtered light. Water when the top 1" of soil is dry.When new growth appears repot in cactus soil..."

absolutely!!!!!!!!

welcome to the forum!!

yes, it's a kalanchoe and yes that's a succulent.

the black spots may be from water splashing on the leaves and then getting sun burnt (the sunlight is magnified through the water droplets and causes the leaf to burn).

leaf drop is from overwatering - being a succulent, it's okay to let it dry out a bit before watering again. also, if you've got it in regular soil, it's easy to end up overwatering it without realizing. definitely transplant it into a cactus mix and let it dry out a bit before watering again.

i've had luck rooting that particular kalanchoe in water. it formed roots very quickly and when i put it in soil, it did very well.

Deb, please keep us updated on how your special plant is doing! Thank you!

Well first of all, thank you for the warm welcome, and for all the really great help! I ran out yesterday after reading all of your posts and doing some googling, and bought a new, slightly larger pot, and some new potting soil. I got some moisture-regulating potting soil, and then when I got home read that these plants should be potted in a 50% peat/50% perlite soil. Sooo.. I don't know if I should go back out to my local nursery and try to find that, or just make do with the soil I got yesterday.

Welcome! I agree with the dad/daughter theory...WAY cool!

With it being a succulent- I personally would not puit it in a moisture regulating soil. It may hold in too much moisture and cause more problems. A good draining potting soil or cactus soil would be better- Or the 50/50 peat and perlite. (I don't really like perlite, but....). Best of Luck to you and keep us posted- you have a very special plant there.

Thanks for all the help guys - for those that agree on the peat/perlite soil... where can I get that? Will any nursery sell that?

Hi from another sububurban NYer!
I'm in Rockland County - may I ask which suburb you are in? It would help for suggesting where you might find the peat and perlite. I do believe that Home Depot carries individual bags of each though. I have been using a growers mix (soiless I believe) for many years, that I get at a local farm each summer - it's actually called Growers Mix, and it's basically peat and perlite. I use it for most of my plants and have been pretty successful with it.

Your plant looks terrific - even despite the black spots! And I agree with the theory all have spoken about here about the flowering! I'm actually jealous of the size and duration you've had it - it's one of those plants that I can never seem to keep alive for too long.

Hi! I'm right over the border in Orange Co. My husband grew up in Rockland and we lived there for years. (I'd rather live there but it's so expensive!!) Recommend a nursery - I'd love to check it out.

Hi there neighbor!
I live on the western border of Rockland, not far from Route 17. I go up to the Woodbury Commons/shopping centers often, and have a good friend who lives in Chester. Also have a cousin who used to live in Monroe.

I always drop into the Home Depot when I am up there, as I usually find a better selection of plants there, than at the 3 that are down here. I also found some HUGE square bags of the Growers Mix there a few summers ago - much cheaper than where I usually buy it, but have not seen it there since.

The farm where I do buy it, is in Mahwah, NJ, just over the border here. It's on South Airmont Road. They have an enormous double greenhouse there, that is open from Spring to late Fall. Their prices can be expensive, but I like to buy the smaller sized plants and let them grow for me here. If you need a large plant that gives a "bang", they have lots of those too! The people are very friendly - they even allowed me to go and pick up a few bags of the Growers Mix after they had shut down for winter. I just gave them a call and they said to come on over - if no one was there, just to leave the money under a rock!!! Can you believe that one?

Not to sound like a commercial for them, but if you are ever in the area, it might be nice to check them out. I've been going there for 20 years now - ever since we moved to the county.

WOW! Well, I live in Monroe so I actually went to the Home Depot over here but the shelves were almost bare, literally. They had nothing. I actually had better luck at the WalMart next door. Have you ever tried that nursery that's on Rt. 17 right before the entrance to the Thruway? I can't think of the name of it, but it's pretty big. I keep meaning to, but I forget.

I'll look for that nursery in Mahwah - my sister-in-law lives off Airmont Road so I know where you're talking about. Oh.. I just remembered, there's also a fairly new nursery on 17 right by the turnoff for Sterling Forest that I should try. It's expensive, but it looks like they have a lot of stuff. I have to help this poor plant - it looks so sad.

The nursery before the thruway - do you mean Auntie El's? They have a country store inside, and plants out front? I go there often - get my husband's birthday pumpkin pie every year there too - it's yummy!

The other one - by Sterling Forest - I stopped in there once. The owner actually lives around the corner from me - we always thought that his HOUSE PROPERTY was a nursery!!! He has a HUGE stand of bamboo lining the street, and the driveway entrance looks just like a nursery! I spoke with him for a while that one visit - he didn't have what I was looking for at the time, and his prices are pretty high. Really really nice stuff there, but out of my budget I'm afraid.

As for that WalMart... that's where we ended up getting our cats from, if you can believe that one! We were going up to go out to dinner with our friends in Chester and my husband wanted to stop for some lawn fertilizer there on the way. A little boy was walking around the nursery section holding a little kitten, and we had been looking for one for a while. I mentioned how cute it was, and his mother grabbed it from him and said "TAKE IT!!! My baby is allergic to them, and there are 3 more at home." We ended up going to her house and taking the sister cat too - 2 calico sweeties!

Sorry if I hijacked your thread here - just wanted to share...


oooops - forgot to mention the name of the farm on Airmont Road - Secor Farm

Kalanchoe - definitely - I have scads of it.

Don't worry about it - you can't kill it if you try - it doesn't need much water.

And it flowers anytime it feels like flowering - doesn't care about the calendar.

If you take a stub of it, plant it in soil, it grows - just like that - no fuss.