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Kalanchoe tomentosa
In Singapore: Panda Plant, Pussy Ears (Cultivated in Singapore)
Panda plant is a slow-growing, velvety, silver-green succulent subshrub from Madagascar, prized for its brown-edged leaves. It needs bright light, sharp drainage and infrequent watering.
Kalanchoe tomentosa, also known as the panda plant, pussy ears, or chocolate soldier, is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae. A native of Madagascar, it is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its distinctive velvety, silver-green leaves with chocolate-brown markings. It has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Kalanchoe tomentosa is widely cultivated as a houseplant and in rock gardens, container gardens, and succulent gardens in warm climates. It is prized for its attractive, tactile foliage and low-maintenance requirements.
Like many species in the genus Kalanchoe, K. tomentosa is toxic to cats and dogs, and mildly toxic to humans if ingested. It is recommended to keep the plant out of reach of pets and small children.
Kalanchoe tomentosa is endemic to east-central Madagascar, where it grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. Its natural habitat consists of rocky, well-drained soils, often on granite outcrops, in arid and semi-arid regions.
The plant is primarily grown as an ornamental for its striking foliage. It is suitable for indoor containers, hanging baskets, rooftop gardens, and rockeries. In its native Madagascar, there is a popular belief that when a panda plant flowers for someone, it is an indication of richness and prosperity for their household.
Elephant's ear Kalanchoe · Madagascar widow's-thrill · Devil's backbone · Chandelier plant · Palm beachbells · Narrow Leaved Kalanchoë · Milky Widow's Thrill · Kalanchoe longiflora · Kalanchoe luciae · Kalanchoe manginii · Penwiper · Kalanchoe marnieriana
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Kalanchoe tomentosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
