Plant of the Month November 2022: Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
Our featured plant this month, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana better known as the Flaming Katy plant, and I have a long history. It was one of the plants I inherited from my mom when I first started to learn about indoor gardening. Funny story, I’m embarrassed to admit it took me years to figure out that Flaming Katy are succulent plants in the Crassulaceae Family (like Jade plants) not the Araceae Family of plants (such as Pothos plants). This was before I learned how to identify plants and what their needs are, so having assumed that my plant had the same requirements as my pothos, I consistently overwatered it!
Unlike many of the succulent plants at Fern & Fossil that are native to mostly North and South America, Flaming Katy and other Kalanchoe plants are generally native to Madagascar and Africa. They prefer dryer, desert climates and need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. That said, you should always pay attention to your plant’s specific needs. If you notice that your Kalanchoe is getting sunburnt when in direct sunlight, I advise moving it to an area that has more partial/indirect sunlight. Not all species of Kalanchoe do well in extreme heat conditions. Each of my three Flaming Katy plants do best under different light conditions depending on the time of the year. Most of the year, they get indirect sunlight indoors but in summertime I like to bring them outdoors to get more direct light in preparation for the cooler months. As always, a fair warning to plant parents with pets, be careful as Flaming Katy’s are poisonous when ingested. Luckily for me, my cat Buffy doesn’t like to climb bookcases so it’s a good spot to place my plant.
My favorite thing about Flaming Katy’s though are their blooming flowers. Although they generally flower from Autumn to early Winter, I’ve seen my plants bloom as soon as August! They come in a range of colors: white, red, pink, orange, and yellow; usually in arrangements of small 4-petal flowers. Unlike a lot of other succulents, Flaming Katy is pretty easy to get blooming. Light has the biggest impact on whether a flaming Katy will bloom. If provided 10-12 hours of sunlight followed by 12-14 hours of darkness, Flaming Katy plants will bloom within 6 to 8 weeks. A little fun fact about Kalanchoe is that it’s one of the first species of plants to be sent into space! In 1979, it was launched on a resupply for the Soviet Salyut 1 space station. In addition to being valuable research on plant cultivation in space, the plant acted as a morale booster for astronauts on the mission.
Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) needs the following care:
Light ☀️ Light shade to Full Sun.
Water 💧Only when soil is completely dry. Do not overwater.
Grow 🌱 This is not a cold hardy plant. For best results avoid temperatures below 40 F.