Kalanchoe rubella
Kalanchoe rubella · Crassulaceae
📷 Diorit · CC BY-SA 3.0
⚠️ Feuilles charnues contiennent composés potentiellement toxiques ; ingestion provoque troubles digestifs chez chiens, chats et enfants.
The gardener's calendar
Kalanchoe rubella is in full bloom: enjoy it, watch watering in hot weather and let spent flowers feed pollinators before pruning.
ID card
- Foliage
- Evergreen, fleshy and colorful
- Flowering
- August to October, yellow flowers in clusters
- Adult size
- 30 cm in height
- Growth
- Slow
- Hardiness
- Cold-sensitive (>5 °C recommended)
- Origin
- Madagascar
- Leaf type
- Small, thick, becoming reddish with light exposure
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability medium.
Expert tips
The key tip
Similar to laciniata but even more sensitive to humidity. In mild climates, leave it almost without water outside the growing season.
The common mistake
Watering it in winter or autumn "to prevent it from drying out" — this is a frequent cause of rot.
The pro's trick
Pinch back the stems in May to encourage compact branching and better autumn flowering.
Seasonal watch
August-September: before flowering, keep the soil almost dry to stimulate flower bud formation.
Care
Watering
Water moderately during the growing season (spring-summer), allowing the substrate to dry between waterings. In fall and winter, reduce drastically: watering every two to three months is sufficient. Avoid stagnant water at all costs, as it causes root rot.
Light Exposure
Choose bright light or full sun to achieve the characteristic reddish coloration of the leaves. Under insufficient light, the plant will become leggy and lose its color. A south or west-facing window is ideal.
Pruning and Maintenance
No mandatory pruning. Simply remove dead or rotted stems or leaves. You can pinch young stems to encourage a more compact and bushy shape.
Fertilizer
A light application of succulent fertilizer in spring and early summer is plenty. Dilute well and apply sparingly: these plants tolerate excess nutrition poorly.
Substrate and Repotting
Use a very well-draining mix: cactus and succulent potting soil, enriched with sand or perlite. Repot in spring if needed, approximately every 2 to 3 years.
Diseases and Pests
Watch for mealybugs and spider mites indoors. Spray with soapy water if necessary. Root rot remains the main risk if you overwater: it is often irreversible.
Did you know?
Kalanchoe rubella owes its name to its leaves, which turn deep red to purple when exposed to bright light and cooler temperatures. This adaptation is a true aesthetic signature: the plant 'blushes' as a signal of well-being, making it a visual indicator of how content your plant is in your care.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring, once all risk of frost has gone. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: from April to June.
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Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.