Species · genus Kalanchoe · Crassulaceae

Velvet Leaf

Kalanchoe beharensis Drake

Also known as: Elephant's Ear Kalanchoe · Felt Bush · Velvet Leaf Kalanchoe

Growth habit

succulent shrub

Native range

Madagascar

Reference · K. beharensis

Cultivars of K. beharensis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under K. beharensis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A succulent shrub from the dry regions of Madagascar, with thick, water-storing felted leaves built for arid conditions. Give it gritty, fast-draining mix and the brightest light you can offer, ideally several hours of direct sun. Water deeply but infrequently, only once the soil has dried out completely — wait until the top several inches are bone dry, as standing moisture readily causes rot.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

10–32 °C

Soil mix

Gritty, fast-draining cactus and succulent mix

Propagation

Leaf or stem cuttings callused then rooted

Fertilizing

Dilute succulent feed once or twice in summer

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for felted leaves

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Crassulaceae of the genus Kalanchoe contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Velvet Leaf yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.