Fan Wen · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
A popular evergreen houseplant, *Kalanchoe blossfeldiana* is known for its flamboyant, colorful blooms in late autumn and early winter, earning it common names like Christmas Kalanchoe. It is a perennial succulent that thrives in cool, partially shaded conditions.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is a glabrous, bushy, evergreen succulent that can reach heights of 30 to 45 cm and spreads up to 50 cm. It features simple, ovate, scallop-edged leaves with crenate margins, typically 5–10 cm long. The flowers are borne on terminal peduncles and each bloom has four petals, appearing in colors ranging from dark reds and pinks to oranges, golds, and whites.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Madagascar, where it is found growing in the relatively cool plateaus of the Tsarantanana Mountains, preferring humus soil.
Cultivation notes
Requires a minimum temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) and needs protection from glass during winter months in temperate locations. It prefers a cool, partially shaded spot but can be placed outside during the summer.
History & etymology
The generic name *Kalanchoe* was adapted by Adanson from 'Kalanchauhuy', a Chinese name for a species recorded by Georg Joseph Kamel. The specific epithet *blossfeldiana* is a tribute to German hybridiser and botanist Robert Blossfeld, who first introduced the plant to the world in 1932.
Habitat
- Altitude
- —
- Altitude Class
- —
- Native To
- Philippines, Madagascar
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
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