How to Grow and Care for the Chandelier Kalanchoe

Alternative Names for the Chandelier Kalanchoe

Pearl Wind Chime, Red Lantern, Trailing Bellflower Begonia.

Morphological Characteristics of the Chandelier Kalanchoe

The chandelier kalanchoe belongs to the genus Kalanchoe in the Crassulaceae family. Because its flowers closely resemble small lanterns and the flower color is red, people also call it the red lantern and trailing bellflower begonia. It is a perennial herb. The stems are woody and much branched, and the new branches are soft and often drooping. The leaves are opposite, long ovate and slightly succulent. The flowers are red and tubular, with the 4 lobes at the tip slightly separated; because their shape closely resembles small lanterns, it is named the chandelier kalanchoe. Whenever the chandelier kalanchoe blooms, strings of flowers shine like red lanterns, bright and fresh, small and lovely, and very endearing.

Growing Habits of the Chandelier Kalanchoe

The chandelier kalanchoe grows best when planted in a well-aerated earthenware pot, but this does not look attractive indoors, so it can be placed inside a plastic or porcelain pot, or planted directly in a small purple clay pot or plastic pot. When planting, put a layer of crushed charcoal pieces or crushed hard plastic foam pieces at the bottom of the pot to improve aeration.

Although the chandelier kalanchoe is not very particular about soil, it easily rots in heavy clay soil, and grows best in loose, fertile, slightly acidic sandy loam. For home potting, it is best to mix leaf mold and surface garden soil in equal amounts, then add 5% to 8% sand as the growing medium. When planting, add a little bone meal or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer as a base fertilizer.

How to Grow the Chandelier Kalanchoe

The chandelier kalanchoe is fairly drought tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. Under the dry air conditions of high-rise buildings, it grows well; be careful to ventilate it promptly.

The chandelier kalanchoe likes fertilizer. Half a month after young seedlings are potted and planted, or half a month after old plants are divided, apply 2 to 3 times a nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer to promote stem and leaf growth. After flowering, apply one nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer to help it recover vigor. At other times, except for stopping fertilization in summer, only nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer may be applied. When fertilizing, do not get fertilizer on the leaves, otherwise the leaves easily rot.

The chandelier kalanchoe likes a sunny, well-lit environment. Except for slight shading at noon in midsummer, it should be placed in a sunny spot the rest of the time. It needs at least 4 hours of direct light every day to grow vigorously.

The most suitable temperature for the chandelier kalanchoe is 15°C to 25°C. Above 30°C growth slows and it enters a semi-dormant state, which is to say that in summer the kalanchoe basically does not grow. Below 10°C growth stalls; below 8°C the leaves turn red and the flowering period is delayed; below 0°C it is easily frozen to death.

Appreciation of Beautiful Photos of the Chandelier Kalanchoe