Family: Crassulaceae
Common name: Lavender scallops, Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi
Lavender Scallops is a beautiful, easy-to-grow succulent that can be grown indoors or outdoors, in pots or flowerbeds. Their blue-green leaves with scalloped edges, and bright flowers make them garden favorites all over the world, though these plants are native to Madagascar.
Unlike other succulents, these plants are very easy to grow and propagate, requiring very little care and attention.
Plant Characteristics
Lavender Scallops plants grow to a height of 25-30 cm with spreading, succulent stems that slant to the ground. When grown in pots or hanging baskets, these beautiful stems bend downwards over the edge of the pots.
When grown in soil, these stems bend to the ground, the lower portion touching the soil, where it produces roots.
Roots are shallow and fibrous, spreading in the ground horizontally, drawing moisture and nourishment from the topsoil. Leaves of the Lavender Scallops are broad, fleshy, greenish-blue in color, with scalloped edges.
They form rosettes around the stem, the younger leaves curved upwards in a cup shape.
Lavender Scallops leaves are 8-10 cm long with a pink or deep pink hue around the edges of the leaves, especially when they are exposed to sunlight. Their succulent nature, with a thick, waxy coating helps the plants conserve and store water.
Flowers come in a range of colors like pink, dark pink, orange, and red, held up on tall flowering stalks that rise above the level of the foliage.
They are tubular and pendent, hanging down like beautiful bulbous lights from a chandelier. These flowers are produced in clusters, mostly in spring and summer, though flowering is not very regular.
Each flower is 2-5 cm long, growing in clusters of 10-20 flowers on each stalk. Sepal cups that hold the flowers are also bright and beautiful, sometimes even prettier than the actual petals.
These bright flowers that bloom profusely attract small birds, bees, and insects into the garden.
After pollination, the flowers produce small, dry, capsule-like fruits, about 1 cm long. These capsules contain tiny seeds that are released into the soil when the capsules open on maturity.
Gardening Tips
Lavender Scallops plants like sunlight, but not bright, direct sunlight since it can burn the leaf edges. Filtered or partial sunlight is best for this plant, whether they are grown outdoors or indoors. Too little sunlight can make the plant leggy and long, the stems growing in search of sunlight.
Like most succulents, Lavender Scallops need well-draining soil with perlite, sand, and grit, preferably cactus or succulent potting mix with good drainage.
Do not overwater your succulents since they can die from root and stem rot. Water only when the soil is dry to touch; until you figure out a good schedule to water your succulents.
These plants are not heavy feeders. Since they grow reasonably fast, they need fertilization once in 2-3 weeks with a diluted, balanced fertilizer. Pruning can be done to remove any diseased or extra-long stems.
Since most stems have fibrous roots at the nodes, each of them can be replanted to produce new plants.
Grazing animals do not usually eat succulents, and they are also resistant to most pest infections, making them a good plant for the amateur or forgetful gardener.
Lavender Scallops are closely related to Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri or Donkey ear plant, Kalanchoe pinnata or Cathedral bells, and Kalanchoe thyrsiflora or Paddle plant, all of them beautiful garden plants.
Uses of Lavender Scallops
Lavender Scallops plants are mostly grown as ornamentals indoors or outdoors, in pots or on the ground. They grow and spread quickly and are easy to propagate. Parts of the plant are said to have some medicinal uses in the treatment of worms.
Growing succulents is a learned skill; their watering, soil composition, and sunlight requirements. But once you master them, succulents are very beautiful and rewarding, adding beauty and elegance to your garden.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds, stem cuttings, and leaf cuttings.
Since Lavender Scallop plants do not flower and fruit regularly, they are not usually propagated through seeds.
Propagation through stem cuttings is very easy and effective. Snip off a small piece of healthy stem from a plant, preferably one with nodal roots. Once the cut end calluses over a day or two, this piece of stem can be planted in moist soil to take root in 10-15 days.
Healthy leaves can be removed from the parent plant, left to callus for a day or two, and then planted in soil or kept above water to develop roots from its base.
Photographed at: Sobha Petunia, Bangalore
