Houseplant · Crassulaceae
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
A tough little succulent that throws bright, long-lasting blooms on almost no fuss.
Bright indirect
50–86°F · 10–30°C
USDA 10–12
6–35 in · 15–90 cm
Overview
Kalanchoe is a succulent from the stonecrop family, with most of the houseplant types tracing back to Madagascar. It stores water in thick, fleshy leaves, which is why it shrugs off the odd missed watering and asks for so little in return. The flowering kind you find at the garden center carries dense heads of small, bright blooms that hang on for weeks.
The genus runs wider than the florist plant most people picture. Some are grown for fuzzy silver leaves rather than flowers, others stack their leaves into red-edged paddles, and a few line their leaf margins with tiny plantlets that drop and root on their own. Whatever the shape, they all want the same thing: strong light and a pot that drains fast.
One thing to know up front. Every kalanchoe holds cardiac glycosides that are toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and other animals, so this is a plant to place with care in a home that has pets.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, a gritty pot that drains fast, and water only once the soil has dried out completely. Keep it warm, feed lightly in the growing season, and back off the water in winter.
Light
Give kalanchoe bright indirect light, and it will take some direct sun once it's used to it. Too little light is the usual reason a plant stretches and stops blooming, so a bright windowsill is the safest spot.
Water
Let the soil dry out completely between waterings, then water well and tip away anything that pools. The fleshy leaves hold their own reserve, so standing moisture, not drought, is what kills these plants through root rot. Cut back hard in winter when growth slows.
Soil
Plant in a gritty, well-drained cactus or succulent mix so water runs through fast and never sits around the roots. Sharp drainage is the single most important thing you can give it.
Temperature
Keep it in the range of 50°F to 86°F (10°C to 30°C), which suits ordinary room warmth. It has no frost tolerance, so bring any plant indoors well before the cold arrives.
Humidity
Low household humidity is exactly what this succulent wants, so there's no number to chase. Damp, stagnant air does more harm than good here.
Feeding
Feed monthly from spring through summer while the plant is actively growing, using a balanced water-soluble fertilizer at half strength. Skip feeding through the dormant winter months.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flowers and pinch back leggy stems after blooming to keep the plant compact and bushy. Cut out any soft, rotted growth the moment you spot it.
Repotting
Move kalanchoe into a fresh pot every 1 to 2 years, or sooner if it outgrows its container. Roots poking from the drainage holes, water running straight through, and stalled growth all tell you it's time.
Size & spacing
Depending on the type, a kalanchoe grows 6 to 35 inches (15 to 90 cm) tall and spreads 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) wide. Pick a pot to match, since the compact florist kinds stay far smaller than that top figure.
Troubleshooting
Nearly every kalanchoe problem starts at the roots or comes down to light. Catch the early signs and most are easy to turn around. Match what you see below, then act before it spreads.
Soft, blackening stems and a mushy base
This is root and crown rot, almost always from too much water sitting in soil that drains poorly. Slide the plant out and check the roots, which turn brown, soft, and sour-smelling instead of firm and pale. Cut away every rotted part with clean tools, repot into fresh gritty mix, and hold off watering until it bounces back.
Fix:
- Remove the plant from wet soil
- Cut away all rotted tissue with clean tools
- Repot into fresh gritty, well-drained mix
- Withhold water until the plant recovers
Stretched, leggy growth that won't rebloom
Too little light stretches the stems and leaves wide gaps between the leaves as the plant reaches for a window. Flowering types also need long, dark nights to set buds, so move yours somewhere brighter and pinch back the lanky stems. To get blooms again, give the plant about six weeks of roughly 14 hours of complete darkness each night.
Fix:
- Move to a brighter spot with bright indirect light
- For flowering kalanchoes, provide about six weeks of roughly 14 hours of complete darkness each night to trigger budding
- Pinch back leggy stems
White cottony fluff where the leaves meet the stem
Those cottony clusters and the sticky residue beside them are mealybugs. Dab each insect with a cotton swab dipped in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, then follow up with insecticidal soap and keep treating until the plant is clean. Move it away from your other succulents so the bugs don't spread.
Fix:
- Dab insects with a cotton swab dipped in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol
- Treat with insecticidal soap and repeat until clear
- Isolate the plant from other succulents
Toxicity
This is a plant to keep away from animals. Every part holds bufadienolides, cardiac glycosides that bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in larger amounts can throw off the heartbeat. No part is edible, so treat it as toxic to pets and livestock and keep it out of reach of children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that chews the leaves usually drools and then vomits, with diarrhea close behind. A big mouthful is the real worry, since the cardiac glycosides can throw off the heart rhythm.
Dogs Toxic
Watch for drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and a tired, listless dog after it nibbles any part of the plant. Larger amounts can slow or scramble the heartbeat, so call the vet.
Horses Toxic
The same bufadienolides hit horses hard. Expect drooling, colic, and loose manure, and in quantity the toxin can disturb the heartbeat and turn dangerous.
Rabbits Toxic
Never offer kalanchoe to a rabbit. Even a small taste brings on drooling and digestive upset, and the cardiac glycosides make it genuinely risky.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing cattle, goats, and sheep can be poisoned where this plant grows or gets dumped. Signs run from drooling and diarrhea to staggering, and heavy doses can stop the heart.
Birds Toxic
Keep birds well away. The cardiac glycosides are no safer for them, and a curious bird that pecks the foliage can suffer gut upset and heart-rhythm trouble.
People Caution
No part of the plant is food, so don't eat it. The sap can leave skin a little itchy, and swallowing any amount can upset the stomach, so keep it away from small children.
Sap can cause mild contact irritation; keep the plant out of reach of pets that chew foliage.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Kalanchoe covers more than the flowering plant most people know. These are the types you're most likely to meet.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Flaming Katy)
This is the florist kalanchoe you see everywhere, with glossy scalloped leaves and tight clusters of small bright flowers.
Kalanchoe tomentosa (panda plant)
Its thick, fuzzy silver leaves are edged in soft brown felt, grown for the foliage rather than the bloom.
Kalanchoe daigremontiana (mother of thousands)
Rows of tiny plantlets line every leaf margin, then drop off and root wherever they land.
Kalanchoe luciae / thyrsiflora (paddle plant)
Rounded paddle-shaped leaves stack up like a flower and flush deep red along the edges in bright light.
How to propagate
Kalanchoe is one of the easiest succulents to multiply, whether you root a stem tip or grow a whole new plant from a single leaf.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · 2 to 3 weeks to root
Take a healthy stem tip in spring or summer while the plant is growing, then let the cut end dry and callus for a day or two before you pot it. Push it into gritty, barely moist mix and it sets roots in about 2 to 3 weeks. Letting the cut callus first is what keeps the stem from rotting.
Leaf cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 3 to 6 weeks to form plantlets
Many kalanchoes will grow from a single leaf laid flat on well-drained mix in spring or summer. New plantlets and roots form at the leaf base over the next 3 to 6 weeks. Let the leaf callus before you start, and keep the mix barely damp.
Myths
Kalanchoes are harmless succulents and make safe gift plants around pets.
The ASPCA lists kalanchoe as toxic to cats and dogs, and the rest of the genus carries the same risk. The plant is full of bufadienolides, a kind of cardiac glycoside that brings on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in larger amounts can disturb the heartbeat. A pretty bloom does not make it a safe choice for a home with animals.