The Flapjacks Plant
Upright clumps of leaves that almost look like some kind of undersea shell, or a stack of pancakes make this plant distinctive from any other Kalanchoe.
The leaves and especially the stems are usually coated with a white powder known as ‘bloom’ that protects them from excessively bright conditions, as well as moisture loss.
Don’t worry if this waxy, powdery coating rubs off; it just means that you’re handling it too much.
Keep it out of the most intense sunlight for a week or two until it grows back as they can get sunburned without their sunscreen.
In time, the plant can form a large cluster of the rosettes, and eventually a tall flower stalk will emerge from the center of one or more of them.
The stalks can grow to a height of nearly two meters (six feet) and the yellow flowers are held in clusters atop the stalk.
After the flower finishes, this particular rosette will die; these plants are ‘monocarpic’ or once-flowering.
Other names this plant goes by are Desert Cabbage and Paddle Plant, both descriptive of its appearance.
These are extremely drought tolerant plants, and grow well in a large mixed container in cooler climates to be brought indoors for the winter.
Keep them dry; in fact, I’ve successfully overwintered them without any soil, as large cuttings.
They look sad by the time spring arrives, but once plugged into your larger container, will root and grow quickly.
Kalanchoe thyrsiflora ‘Tricolor’ is a variegated type, with pink, green and white markings.
Other closely related plants are Kalanchoe luciae, which tends to have less bloom, and slightly different shaped foliage.
Some sources say Kalanchoe luciae ‘Fantastic’ is the same plant as K. thyrsiflora ‘Tricolor’, others think they are different species; they’re mixed up in the trade and go under both names.
It’s suspected that most plants going by Kalanchoe thyrsiflora are in fact Kalanchoe luciae, but due to the difference in appearance depending the growing conditions, it’s really hard to tell which is which.
Whichever one you get, they are spectacular, easy to grow plants sure to give a lot of impact to your summer planter display.
Find out more about Kalanchoe thyrsiflora below…
Click on each link to another story about Flapjacks…
The survivor
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Thick leaves
Hello! Could you please provide me some information about this plant. Thank you!
Round flat-leaved succulent
Rosette
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white chalky stem, oval leaves
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Variegated succulent with pink edges
Seen in a garden in Texas. Can’t find anything like it when I search online. Hi Arlene, this is Kalanchoe thyrsiflora ‘Tricolor’ which can also go …
Help ID my “paddle plant”?? and why is it drooping
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Hi, great website! I just brought this home from the supermarket and looked through hundreds of pictures and cannot identify. I’m in Boston and have …
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Large leaved succulent
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Celery green with a waxy white bloom, jade-like but not crassula (I think)
This was purchased about two years ago, at a big box store as an unnamed succulent. It has since produced the smaller offshoot. The leaves turn yellow …
large rounded green leaves with pink/cream edge
Large round green leaves with pink and cream edges. People have asked if it is some sort of cabbage. Maybe a flapjack or paddle plant? Drought Smart …
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Help me identify
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Looking for ID and way to cut back
It’s 3-4 years old, 28 inches high and 10 inches wide at the widest point. It has a single thick stem. I’m calling it a Kalanchoe or Paddle, though I don’t …
Is this a Kalanchoe thyrsifolia?
Large upright rosette-style plant, pale green leaves tinged with pink at the top. It has never flowered. It is now a little taller, the bottom leaves …
Mystery
Stem approx. 1 to 1 1/2 cm thick. “Leaves” are disc shaped like large half-dollars. Leaf color ranges from greyish-blue to pink.
