The kalanchoe – blazing holiday color

Have you seen the colorful flowering succulents called kalanchoes in garden centers nestled amongst the poinsettias, Christmas cacti, and Norfolk Island pines?  Kalanchoes offer long-lasting florescent flowers which make a great holiday gift plant.  This Holiday gift plant keeps on giving as it can be put in the landscape for re-bloom purposes next season. 

There are many, many types of kalanchoe in cultivation with over one-hundred and twenty-five species available.  The kalanchoe known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana  is native to Madagascar and was introduced in 1932 by Robert Blossfeld.    Grown for its red, pink, yellow, white and salmon flowers, the species  is named after Mr. Blossfeld, a German hybridizer.   This plant blooms as a result of shorter days at this time of year just like poinsettias.  The small, four-petaled flowers are arranged in clusters that combine to make a stunning flower head.  Indoors as a potted plant, the flowers will last for some time when kept in a bright sunny area.  Do not overwater as root rots can develop.  Allow the soil to dry between waterings and make sure to take off any decorative foil wrap to ensure proper drainage. 

Once the weather has settled sometime in March, your kalanchoe can be planted outside in a full sun to part shade  location.   Gradually adjust the plant to outdoor conditions as it can otherwise sunburn.   Well-drained soil is essential and once established, the kalanchoe can be considered highly drought tolerant and recommended as a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ plant.  The glossy scalloped leaves will serve as a groundcover of sorts during the summer when there will be few if any flowers.  Kalanchoes will also look good in rock gardens, in raised planters and in stand-alone containers.  Once the day length begins to shorten in October, new flower buds will begin to develop.  Now while Holiday kalanchoes may have had their daylight artificially manipulated to induce flowering, outdoor specimens will adapt to the natural light cycles and most likely begin to bloom in January and then on through spring.  They can be cold sensitive and will most likely require some frost/freeze protection if cold weather settles in. 

While most kalanchoes can grow up to one-foot tall, there are some named dwarf cultivars such as ‘Pumila’ and ‘Tetra Vulcan’.  Otherwise the color selection is based on your taste.  Both single and double-flowering varieties are available in a range of almost florescent colors.  The kalanchoe is just another nice Holiday plant to consider as a gift to others or for yourself!  For more information on all types of plants suitable for gift-giving, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. (2014) Kalanchoe blossfeldiana .  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Trinklein, D. H. (2014) Care of Flowering Potted Plants.  The University of Missouri Extension Service.

Winter, N. ( 2016) Kalanchoe brings top holiday color.  Mississippi State University Extension Service. 

Davenport,  M. (2007)  Kalanchoe.  Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design (2010)the University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.