Flaming Katy

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Origin

The Flaming Katy plant, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, is a type of flowering succulent native to Madagascar. They're one of the few succulents that are grown specifically for their blooms rather than for their leaves, and these vibrantly colored flowers are what give this plant its name.

Interestingly, the name 'Kalanchoe' is actually pronounced "Kal-un-koh-ee", not using the 'ch' sound. This is because it derives from the Chinese word for 'temple plant': kalanchuahuy.

Many people see this plant as a disposable houseplant option, throwing it away once it has lost its flowers. However, their green foliage can still look attractive, plus it can be possible to encourage them to re-flower.

Care

Flaming Katy does best in bright, indirect light. Too much harsh sunlight can cause it to overheat and scorch the leaves - they're definitely less heat / sun -tolerant than other succulent types. If you plan to keep yours outdoors, you'll want to make sure it's in a shadier spot and ensure you bring it indoors before the winter cold sets in, as this isn't a frost-tolerant plant.

Like other succulents, Flaming Katy tends to do better on little water as they're fairly drought-resistant. They're much more likely to die from being watered too much than too little, so if you're ever unsure of when to water, it's better to hold off.

They can reflower even if it might be a bit tricky to help them to do so. Some seem to never stop flowering and some just flower once and never again. To increase the chances for it to flower again you'll need to treat it with darkness. Put it in a spot with approximately 16 hours of darkness per day for 5-6 weeks, then put it in a sunny spot and it should hopefully flower again.

Other

The brightly colored flowers can vary in appearance, including shades of purple, pink, red, orange, yellow and white, all of which are eye-catching and make for a lovely display plant.

Note that Flaming Katy is toxic, so keep it well out of reach of children and pets.

These plants are small, not exceeding a maximum of 12 inches (30 cm), making them a great choice for a desktop or windowsill.