Succulent Sunday - Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (or tetraphylla, or luciae)

There are some succulents that do well no matter what I do (or don't do), and there are some that don't do well at all, no matter what I do (or don't do).

Kalanchoe thrysifolia (or tetraphylla, or luciae as I have discovered after some searching for information about this plant). Whatever the name, this is a pretty hardy succulent that tends to cope pretty well no matter what I throw at it. Whether on a windowsill in pretty much full shade, or a scorchingly hot spot in a small container, it soldiers on.

According to Wikipedia this variety of Kalanchoe is native to South Africa, and common names include (but are not limited to) paddle plant, flapjacks, desert cabbage, white lady, geelplakkie, meelplakkie, or plakkie. 

This was taken several years ago at our last place. This was my first (but not last)
pup of the variety, and he did okay on the shady windowsill in our front room.

The powdery 'bloom' on the leaves that protect it from the harsh rays of the sun can make repotting or 'de-pupping' this succulent a messy business. The powder is sticky to the touch and covers the stem as well as the leaves, and at first glance can look like mealy bugs, making this a good hiding place for them (though I've never seen any on mine - or I may have, but didn't see them because of the powder - but I've never seen ants on the leaves and stems so that's a good sign. Ants hanging around plants are almost always a bad sign).

Much happier in my sunny front garden

Culture notes:

Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops)
Origin: South Africa (Africa)
Flower Color: Yellow
Bloomtime: Spring

Height: 1m
Width: 80cm
Water: Moderate/Low once established

Light: Sun/Part Sun

Pests and diseases: Fungal diseases, mealybugs, aphids and scale

Rain-splashed leaves

The more stressed they are, the redder the leaf margins become. I presume this also leads to flowering though I haven't had one that has flowered yet. Maybe this year?

The majority of mine are in pots, but I have a few in the ground in odd places as they are prolific in the pup department, and it's good to have some backups, just in case.