| Kalanchoe plants are pretty dry garden bloomers | | | | winter areas. They are hardy to USDA Zone 10b, |
| known for their bright colorful flowers. They're | | | | or 35 degrees, (Sunset Zone: 17, 21-24), These |
| great succulent plants for dry landscapes or as | | | | plants can take full sun to part shade in the garden. |
| houseplants in container gardens indoors. Kalanchoes | | | | Outdoors, if it gets over 100 degrees for more than |
| are in the Crassulaceae or, Stonecrop family. Most | | | | a few days, or your plants develop brown spots it |
| varieties are perennial and evergreen. | | | | may be getting sunburn. Either move the pots, or |
| One of the most popular form of kalanchoe species | | | | give them a little shade during the hottest part of |
| grown today is kalanchoe blossfeldiana and its many | | | | the day with a temporary screen. Indoors they |
| hybrid plants. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana plants grow up | | | | prefer a bright windowsill with lots of light. Indoors, |
| to 2 feet tall and as wide. They have large, leathery | | | | place your kalanchoe plants near a bright window. |
| leaves about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches | | | | Kalanchoes are popular gifts during the winter and |
| wide. The leaf edges are usually lightly scalloped and | | | | make nice housewarming presents. If you are lucky |
| may have a slight tint of red or other color. Some | | | | enough to receive one the first thing you might want |
| hybrid plants have smooth edges and different colors | | | | to do is see if the soil is dry. If so, give your plant |
| on the leaf. | | | | some water and let it drain in the sink. Then move |
| Flowers bloom in upright, large clusters from 2 to 3 | | | | them outside if you are in a mild winter area, or to a |
| inches across, and are made up of small daisy like | | | | windowsill if it is cold outside. |
| flowers of 5 petals. The stamens are usually yellow | | | | Seeds saved from any hybrid plants will not grow out |
| and can stand out brightly depending on the flower | | | | to look the same as the parent plants. It is much |
| color. Flower colors can range from white, yellow, | | | | easier to propagate kalanchoe with leaf or stem |
| orange, red, pink and everything in between. | | | | cuttings. Place the cuttings in damp soil, and keep |
| Flowers can also be creamy, dreamy pastels, or have | | | | the soil moist for the first two weeks. After that, |
| flowers with more than one color, but kalanchoe | | | | let the soil dry out between waterings. |
| blossfeldiana are mainly known for neon bright | | | | Like most succulent plants, water requirements for |
| colors. These drought tolerant plants make a bold | | | | kalanchoe are low. They can take average garden |
| statement in the garden with their glowing, bright | | | | water, but will also grow well with much less. In my |
| flower colors. Bloom is heaviest in spring, but they | | | | garden a few plants are out in a section with the |
| can bloom all year with a little feeding of fertilizer | | | | natives and other drought tolerant plants and they |
| after the first bloom. | | | | do quite well. To avoid root rot, let the soil dry out |
| Care of kalanchoe plants outdoors is easy in mild | | | | before you water them again. |