Genus Reference
Kalanchoe
Flowering and foliage Kalanchoe species, care routines, and troubleshooting.
The Complete Kalanchoe Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Kalanchoe: taxonomy, identification, photoperiodic flowering, propagation from cuttings and leaf bulbils, pruning, toxicity, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
Read the guide →Species & Cultivars
All articles in this section
Kalanchoe Root Rot: Signs, Rescue, and Prevention
Kalanchoe root rot is caused by waterlogged substrate depriving roots of oxygen. Yellow soft leaves, sour smell, and black roots confirm it. Unpotting, trimming dead roots, and repotting in dry mineral mix saves most plants caught before stem involvement.
Kalanchoe Leggy After Flowering: Pruning and Recovery
Kalanchoe becomes leggy after flowering when spent flower stalks are left on, light is insufficient, or the plant is not pruned. Hard pruning immediately after blooming, combined with bright light, restores a compact habit within 6–8 weeks.
Kalanchoe Not Blooming: How to Get It to Flower Again
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a short-day plant that needs 14 hours of darkness per night for 4–6 weeks to initiate buds. Without that dark period, it will not reflower indoors regardless of watering or fertilising.
Kalanchoe Leaves Curling: Causes and How to Fix Them
Kalanchoe leaves curling inward usually signals drought or heat stress. Curling with fine webbing means spider mites. Downward cupping with soft leaves points to overwatering. Each cause has a distinct curl pattern and treatment.
Kalanchoe Powdery Mildew: Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
Powdery mildew on Kalanchoe shows as white or grey dusty patches on leaves and stems. It thrives in poor airflow with moderate humidity and responds to neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, and improved ventilation.
Kalanchoe Aphids: Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
Aphids cluster on kalanchoe flower stalks and new growth, causing bud drop, distorted leaves, and sooty mould. Identify them by honeydew residue and curled new leaves; treat with a forceful water rinse or isopropyl alcohol repeated every 3 days until clear.
Kalanchoe Leaves With Black Spots: Fungal, Frost, or Bruising?
Black spots on kalanchoe leaves have three main causes: fungal infection from trapped moisture, frost damage, and physical bruising. Identify which by spot texture, distribution, and plant history, then treat accordingly — only active fungal infection requires urgent action.
Kalanchoe Leaves Turning Yellow: Causes and Recovery
Yellow Kalanchoe leaves point to overwatering, root rot, drought, low light, or natural senescence. Texture and location on the stem determine the correct diagnosis and fix.
Kalanchoe Not Growing: Light, Temperature, and Seasonal Causes
Kalanchoe stops growing visibly in winter and after flowering — both normal. Outside those periods, stopped growth points to insufficient light, cold nights, pot-bound roots, or exhausted substrate. Fix the light situation first; it is the cause in most indoor cases.
Kalanchoe Mealybugs: Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
Mealybugs are the most damaging pest of indoor kalanchoe, concealed in leaf axils and root zones where they drain phloem sap. Identify by white cottony wax in leaf axils; treat with weekly 70% isopropyl alcohol for four weeks minimum; isolate the plant immediately to prevent spread.
Kalanchoe Leaves Drooping: Overwatering vs Underwatering
Drooping kalanchoe leaves result from overwatering (root oxygen deprivation), underwatering (drought dehydration), heat stress, or root damage. The key differential is leaf texture: soft and translucent means overwatering; flexible and shrivelled means drought. Lift the pot before reaching for the watering can.
Kalanchoe marmorata (Penwiper Plant): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe marmorata with penwiper leaf blotches, East African habitat, light, water, frost limits, toxicity, and lookalike ID notes for growers.
Kalanchoe beharensis (Felt Plant / Velvet Leaf): Profile & Care
Kalanchoe beharensis (felt plant) from southern Madagascar: profile and care guide for this tree-forming succulent, with cultivar and propagation notes.
Kalanchoe millotii: Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe millotii with identification traits, Madagascar origin, light, water, frost limits, propagation timing, and key lookalike differences.
Kalanchoe prolifera (Blooming Kalanchoe): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe prolifera with bulbil-bearing pinnate leaves, Madagascar habitat, light, water, frost limits, toxicity, and lookalike ID notes for growers.
Kalanchoe manginii (Chandelier Plant): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe manginii, the Madagascan chandelier plant, with cluster-flower diagnosis, hanging basket care, light, water, frost limits, pet safety.
Kalanchoe uniflora (Coral Bells): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe uniflora, the Madagascan coral bells epiphyte, with identification, hanging basket use, light, water, frost limits, and pet toxicity notes.
Kalanchoe rhombopilosa (Pies from Heaven): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe rhombopilosa, the pies from heaven succulent from southwestern Madagascar, with rhomboid leaf identification, light, water, frost notes.
Kalanchoe orgyalis (Copper Spoons): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe orgyalis with copper leaf traits, Madagascar origin, light, water, frost limits, propagation timing, and lookalike ID notes for growers.
Kalanchoe rotundifolia (Common Kalanchoe): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe rotundifolia with round-obovate leaves, southern African habitat, light, water, frost limits, toxicity, and lookalike ID notes for growers.
Kalanchoe eriophylla (Snow White Panda Plant): Profile & Care
Profile of Kalanchoe eriophylla, the snow white panda plant from highland Madagascar, with identification, light, water, frost limits, and propagation notes.
Kalanchoe thyrsiflora: The True Paddle Plant
Identification of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, the South African paddle plant, with the practical characters that distinguish it from the commonly confused Kalanchoe luciae.
Kalanchoe pinnata: The Air Plant or Miracle Leaf
Identification and cultivation notes for Kalanchoe pinnata, the pantropical air plant whose fallen leaves root and regenerate, with a short note on its ethnobotanical history.
Kalanchoe luciae: The Red-Edged Paddle Plant
Identification and care for Kalanchoe luciae, the red-edged paddle plant routinely mislabelled as K. thyrsiflora, with the field characters that separate the two.
Kalanchoe tomentosa: The Panda Plant
Identification and cultivation of Kalanchoe tomentosa, the silver-fuzzy panda plant from Madagascar, with notes on watering, propagation from single leaves, and the cultivar Chocolate Soldier.
Kalanchoe delagoensis: The Chandelier Plant
Identification and care notes for Kalanchoe delagoensis (formerly K. tubiflora), the tubular-leaved chandelier plant with apical bulbils, now invasive across frost-free regions.
Kalanchoe daigremontiana: Mother of Thousands
Identification, cultivation, and containment of Kalanchoe daigremontiana, the bulbil-producing mother of thousands from Madagascar, now invasive across frost-free regions.
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi: Lavender Scallops
Identification and cultivation of Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, the lavender scallops of Madagascar, with notes on the common variegated cultivar and its characteristic cool-season colouring.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana: The Flaming Katy and How to Rebloom It
Identification and care for Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, the commercial florist kalanchoe, with the short-day photoperiod protocol that actually produces a second year of flowering.