Species · genus Kalanchoe · Crassulaceae

Madagascar Widow's Thrill

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Poelln.

Also known as: Flaming Katy · Christmas Kalanchoe · Florist Kalanchoe

Growth habit

succulent subshrub

Native range

Madagascar

Reference · K. blossfeldiana

Cultivars of K. blossfeldiana

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

No named cultivars catalogued under K. blossfeldiana 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 subshrub from Madagascar, this Kalanchoe stores water in its thick leaves and is far more tolerant of drought than of standing moisture. Grow it in gritty, fast-draining mix and water only when the top two inches are fully dry, then soak and let it drain completely. It takes bright light and can tolerate some direct sun once acclimated, but soggy roots will rot it quickly.

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 10-18d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 18 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

10–29 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining cactus and succulent mix

Propagation

Stem or leaf cuttings callused then rooted

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Long-lasting clustered blooms with short-day cool triggering

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Crassulaceae in the genus Kalanchoe contain cardiac glycosides (bufadienolides) 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 10-18d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Madagascar Widow's Thrill 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.