The Gongdeng Kalanchoe belongs to the Crassulaceae family.

Other names of the Gongdeng Kalanchoe

Pearl wind chime, red lantern, trailing bellflower begonia.

Morphological characteristics of the Gongdeng Kalanchoe

The Gongdeng 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 red lantern and trailing bellflower begonia. It is a perennial herb. The stems are woody and many-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 tip slightly separated into 4 petals. Its appearance closely resembles a small lantern, hence the name Gongdeng Kalanchoe. Whenever the Gongdeng Kalanchoe blooms, strings of flowers are as bright and fresh as red lanterns, small and lovely, very endearing.

Growth habits of the Gongdeng Kalanchoe

The Gongdeng Kalanchoe grows best when planted in a breathable earthenware pot, but it is not attractive indoors, so it can be placed in an outer plastic or porcelain pot, or planted directly in a small purple clay pot or plastic pot. When planting, place a layer of crushed charcoal pieces or crushed hard plastic foam pieces at the bottom of the pot to enhance permeability.

Although the Gongdeng Kalanchoe is not very particular about soil, it easily rots in heavy clay, while it grows best in loose, fertile, slightly acidic sandy loam. For home potting, it is best to mix leaf mold and garden topsoil 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 Gongdeng Kalanchoe

The Gongdeng Kalanchoe is relatively drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. Under the dry air conditions of high-rise buildings, it grows well; be careful to ventilate in time.

The Gongdeng Kalanchoe likes fertilizer. Half a month after young seedlings are potted and established, or half a month after old plants are divided, apply 2 to 3 times a liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen to promote stem and leaf growth. After flowering, apply one liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen to promote recovery. 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 are prone to rot.

The Gongdeng Kalanchoe likes a sunny, ample-light environment. Except for slight shading at noon in midsummer, it should be placed in a sunny spot at other times. It needs at least 4 hours of direct light every day to grow robustly.

The most suitable growing temperature for the Gongdeng Kalanchoe is 15°C to 25°C. Above 30°C growth slows and it enters a semi-dormant state; that is, in summer the kalanchoe basically does not grow. Below 10°C growth stops, below 8°C the leaf color turns red and flowering is delayed, and below 0°C it is prone to freezing to death.

Appreciation of beautiful pictures of the Gongdeng Kalanchoe