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It’s a good idea to use a moisture meter so you’ll know when to water, and this can help to prevent overwatering and root rot.
Temperature
Indoors or out, these plants also need nighttime temperatures of at least 60°F. Daytime temperatures around 70°F are ideal, though they can tolerate temperatures much warmer.
If you’re growing container kalanchoe in regions north of Zone 9 or 10 where they aren’t hardy, beware of the onset of cooler weather.
Make sure to bring potted plants into the house or place them in a heated greenhouse before temperatures dip below 40°F.
These are tough plants, but they can’t withstand freezing temperatures.
Species to Select
With over 100 species in the Kalanchoe genus, most of these are not in cultivation. But the ones that are readily available to the home gardener are still quite diverse.
Here are a few of the most popular varieties you might want to opt for to grow at home:
Florist’s Kalanchoe
K. blossfeldiana, or florist’s kalanchoe, aka flaming katy, is known for being one of the easiest varieties to grow among flowering houseplants.
With a max height of about 12 to 18 inches and spread of about a foot, it produces clusters of flowers that may be white, yellow, orange, or pink, depending on the variety.
The foliage is fleshy and green, with scalloped edges.
Bear in mind that while you can force plants grown indoors to bloom again, the process takes about 12 weeks, beginning the previous fall.
You can learn more about encouraging kalanchoe to rebloom indoors here.
Yellow-flowering K. blossfeldiana plants in two-and-a-half-inch containers are available from Hirt’s Gardens via Walmart.
Or read more about caring for florist’s kalanchoe/flaming katy here.
Mother of Thousands
K. daigremontiana reproduces readily from both cuttings and the little plantlets that develop along the edges of its leaves.
It features bright green foliage with saw-toothed edges on fleshy stems.
It’s similar to the mother of millions kalanchoe but has larger leaves that grow up to eight inches long.
Mother of millions produces plantlets on the top of its leaves, while mother of thousands may grow them all along the leaf margins.
Mother of thousands is hardy in Zones 9 to 11. Outdoors it flowers in winter and then dies, producing bell-shaped red-orange blossoms that hang down in a ring from a tall stem.
Planted in the ground, it can reach three feet tall. If its pot is large enough and it receives ample light, it can also grow to this size in a container.
Begin with a more modestly sized four-inch pot of ‘Mother of Thousands,’ available from Hirt’s Gardens via Walmart.
Learn more about growing mother of thousands here.
Panda Plant
K. tomentosa, known as panda plant, is also called pussy ears or chocolate soldier – not to be confused with the columbine cultivar of the same name, or with the flame violet (Episcia cupreata) which also sometimes goes by this common name.
This species is valued for its fuzzy leaves – silvery with chocolate-brown piping along the margins – more than its blooms.
But it may sport clusters of purple-tipped, yellow-green flowers in spring.
These sizable succulents are a suitable accent for gardens and borders in Zones 11 to 12, and they also offer indoor appeal as houseplants.
They can grow three feet tall and two or three feet wide under ideal conditions.
Two-inch pots of K. tomentosa are available via Walmart.
Learn more about growing and caring for panda plant here.
Maintenance
You can remove any dead leaves or spent flowers every couple of months. You can prune these plants to shape them if you like.
Only cut a few inches from the top of any stems that have grown lanky, and keep in mind that this is typically a sign of inadequate light exposure.
If you’re growing in containers, you may need to repot every year or two, depending on how fast your chosen variety grows.
Look for roots peeking out the bottom through the drainage holes, and make sure to only move to a pot that’s one size larger.
These succulents don’t mind being a little root bound, and if they get a bit cramped, they just won’t grow as big or as quickly.
Make sure to move your plants indoors in the winter well ahead of frost if you live in a region with cold winters, or if a rare cold snap is in the forecast.
They’ll tolerate drought, but frost and freezes will kill them.
If you can’t move the plants because they’re growing in the ground, row cover or plastic might help prevent an unexpected freeze from claiming the plants.
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Rose Kennedy
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