Houseplant · Crassulaceae
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
A thick-leaved succulent topped with bright, long-lasting blooms that ask for barely any care.
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, most houseplant types tracing back to Madagascar. Its leaves are thick and fleshy, swollen with stored water, which is what lets the plant coast through a missed watering. On the flowering kind, short branching stalks lift dense heads of small, four-petaled blooms in strong reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows that hold their color for weeks.
The genus reaches well past that one florist plant. Some kinds carry fuzzy silver leaves furred like felt instead of flowers, others build flat, rounded leaves that stack and flush red along the rim, and a few fringe every leaf edge with rows of tiny plantlets that drop off and root on their own. Across all those shapes the leaves stay plump and water-filled, and the plants share one need: strong light and a pot that drains fast.
One fact sits beneath the good looks. Every part of a kalanchoe holds cardiac glycosides toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and other animals, so the plant wants a spot well out of a pet's reach.
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 cut back the water in winter.
Light
Kalanchoe wants bright indirect light, and once hardened off its thick leaves take some direct sun. Starved of light, the stems draw out thin and stop blooming, so a bright windowsill keeps the plant dense and full.
Water
Let the soil dry out completely between waterings, then water deeply and pour off whatever pools underneath. Those swollen leaves hold their own reserve, so standing moisture, not drought, rots the roots and undoes the plant. Cut back hard in winter as growth slows.
Soil
Set it in a gritty, well-drained cactus or succulent mix so water runs straight through and never lingers around the fleshy roots. Sharp drainage is the single most important thing the plant needs.
Temperature
Keep it within 50°F to 86°F (10°C to 30°C), an easy match for ordinary room warmth. The soft, water-filled leaves have no frost tolerance, so any outdoor plant comes in well before the cold.
Humidity
Low household humidity is exactly what this succulent wants, so there is no figure to chase. Damp, stagnant air does the fleshy leaves more harm than good.
Feeding
Feed monthly from spring through summer during active growth, using a balanced water-soluble fertilizer at half strength. Skip feeding through the dormant winter months.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flower heads and pinch back the leggy stems after blooming to keep the plant compact and bushy. Cut out any soft, rotted growth the moment it shows.
Repotting
Move kalanchoe into a fresh pot every 1 to 2 years, or sooner once it crowds its container. Roots poking from the drainage holes, water running straight through, and stalled growth all mark the time.
Size & spacing
Depending on the type, a kalanchoe stands 6 to 35 inches (15 to 90 cm) tall and spreads 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) wide. Match the pot to the plant, since the compact florist kinds stay well below that tallest figure.
Troubleshooting
Nearly every kalanchoe problem shows up first at the roots or in the reach of leggy, light-starved stems. Caught early, most turn around fast. The signs below point to what the plant is dealing with.
Soft, blackening stems and a mushy base
Stems that once stood firm turn dark, soft, and slick at the base under root and crown rot, the result of water sitting in soil that cannot drain. Lifted from the pot, the roots have lost their firm pale look and gone brown, mushy, and sour to the nose. Every soft, discolored part cut away with clean tools, a repot into fresh gritty mix, and a dry rest give the plant room to recover.
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
Under too little light the stems draw out long and thin, and bare gaps open between the widely spaced leaves as the whole plant tilts toward the glass. Flowering kinds also need long, dark nights before buds will form. A brighter position and a pinch of the drawn stems tighten the plant, and about six weeks of roughly 14 hours of complete darkness each night coaxes the buds back.
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
White, cottony tufts that look like scraps of wool, trailing a clear sticky film, mark a colony of mealybugs wedged in the joints where leaf meets stem. A cotton swab soaked in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes each soft-bodied insect away, and insecticidal soap follows until no white remains. The plant set apart from other succulents keeps the crawlers from wandering onto them.
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 out of reach of animals. Every fleshy 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 away from children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that bites into the fleshy leaves drools first, then vomits, with diarrhea close behind. A large mouthful is the real danger, since the cardiac glycosides can throw the heart rhythm off track.
Dogs Toxic
A dog that chews any part drools, vomits, passes loose stools, and turns tired and dull. Larger amounts can slow or scramble the heartbeat, which is the point to call the vet.
Horses Toxic
The same bufadienolides strike horses hard, showing as drooling, colic, and loose manure. In quantity the toxin can unsettle the heartbeat and turn dangerous.
Rabbits Toxic
Kalanchoe is never safe for a rabbit. Even a small taste of the leaf brings drooling and a churning gut, and the cardiac glycosides make it genuinely risky.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep can be poisoned where the plant grows or clippings are dumped within reach. Signs climb from drooling and diarrhea to staggering, and a heavy dose can stop the heart.
Birds Toxic
Birds are no safer from it. The cardiac glycosides carry the same danger, so a bird that pecks a leaf can suffer gut upset and heart-rhythm trouble.
People Caution
No part of the plant is food, so none of it should be eaten. The sap can leave skin faintly itchy, and swallowing any amount upsets the stomach, so it stays clear of 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 spans far more shapes and textures than the single flowering plant most people know. These are the forms you are most likely to meet.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Flaming Katy)
This is the familiar florist kalanchoe, its glossy, scallop-edged leaves crowned by tight clusters of small, brightly colored flowers.
Kalanchoe tomentosa (panda plant)
Its plump silver leaves wear a dense fuzz all over and a rim of soft brown felt along the tips, grown for that furred foliage rather than any bloom.
Kalanchoe daigremontiana (mother of thousands)
Rows of miniature plantlets, each a tiny leaf with threadlike roots, fringe every leaf margin before they drop off and take root where they land.
Kalanchoe luciae / thyrsiflora (paddle plant)
Its rounded, flat leaves overlap in a stack like the petals of a great flower and blush deep red along each rim under bright light.
How to propagate
Kalanchoe is one of the easiest succulents to multiply, whether from a rooted stem tip or a single fleshy leaf that grows a whole new plant.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · 2 to 3 weeks to root
A healthy stem tip snipped in spring or summer roots readily once the raw cut end has dried into a dry, sealed callus over a day or two. Pushed into gritty, barely moist mix, it sends out fresh white roots in about 2 to 3 weeks. That callused seal is what stops the moist stem from rotting underground.
Leaf cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 3 to 6 weeks to form plantlets
Many kalanchoes will raise a whole new plant from one fleshy leaf laid flat against well-drained mix in spring or summer. Tiny green plantlets and pale roots push out from the leaf base over the next 3 to 6 weeks. The leaf calluses first, and the mix stays only barely damp beneath it.
Myths
Kalanchoes are harmless succulents that make safe gift plants around pets.
The plump, cheerful leaves fool people, but the ASPCA lists kalanchoe as toxic to cats and dogs, and the whole genus carries the same danger. Every part is charged with bufadienolides, a cardiac glycoside that brings on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in larger amounts can throw off the heartbeat. A bright bloom is no sign that a plant is safe in a home with animals.