Panda Plant

Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) is the succulent people reach out and touch. Its silver green leaves are covered in fine felt, edged with chocolate brown flecks, and the whole plant stays small at around 45cm tall and 30cm wide. It is from Madagascar, so heat and dry air suit it, and it asks for water only every few weeks.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage worth a close look. Every leaf is furred silver with brown tips, a texture almost nothing else in a plant collection offers.
• It forgives being forgotten. Water every two to three weeks in the warm months and less in winter. Overwatering is the only reliable way to kill it.
• It stays small. At about 45cm by 30cm it lives on a shelf, a windowsill or a balcony table for years without needing a bigger pot.
• Heat holds no fear. Genuinely drought and heat tolerant, so a hot west facing balcony is a fine home for it.

Where it works best

Indoors. This is the main use. A bright windowsill with a few hours of direct light keeps the felt dense and the growth compact. In dim rooms it stretches and thins out.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. Outdoors in a frost free spot it does very well in a 150mm to 200mm pot. Give it shelter from heavy rain, which sits in the felt and marks the leaves.

Rockeries. In warm dry gardens it works tucked among rocks where drainage is sharp and the soil never stays wet.

Growing Panda Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Bright light, including some direct sun, gives the best colour and the tightest habit. It is frost tender, so outdoor planting suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and arid gardens only. Everywhere else, grow it indoors or in a pot you can shift.

Soil. A free draining cactus and succulent mix in a pot with a drainage hole. Standard potting mix holds far too much water. Never leave the pot standing in a saucer.

Water and feed. Soak the mix, tip the saucer out, then let it dry right through: about every two to three weeks in the warmer months and every five to six in winter. Feed a half strength liquid fertiliser twice over spring and summer.

Pruning. Very little needed. Pinch the growing tips to encourage branching, and pull off shrivelled lower leaves. Any stem you remove strikes easily as a cutting.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in one size: 100mm pots sold in a pack of ten, which suits a set of matching indoor pots, a gift run or a shelf display. Each plant is young and compact, ready to sit straight into a decorative pot 150mm or wider.

Succulents travel well because the leaves carry their own water, though the felt can pick up a mark or two in transit and that will grow out. Leave your plant dry and bright for a week before the first water. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse the full succulent range
• Compare other indoor plants

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Kalanchoe species are toxic to cats and dogs, and chewing the leaves can cause vomiting and, less often, heart rhythm problems. Keep it on a high shelf if your pet chews plants.

Why are the leaves going soft and yellow?

Almost always too much water. Let the mix dry completely between drinks, check the pot actually drains, and cut back to a fortnightly soak at most in summer.

Can I mist it or wipe the leaves?

Leave the felt alone. It traps dust, but wiping flattens the hairs and water sitting on the surface causes marks. Blow the dust off or use a soft dry brush.

Does it flower?

Rarely in cultivation, and the flowers are insignificant when they do appear. Buy it for the foliage, which is the point of the plant.