By Kelsey Deckert, Horticulture agent

NDSU Extension - Burleigh County

It’s that time of year again — garden centers and greenhouses are well-stocked with beautiful holiday plants. They make great gifts for friends and families. Nothing looks better on a table or desk than a blooming Christmas cactus or the red foliage of a poinsettia!

However, I would argue there is another plant to consider as a holiday gift: a Kalanchoe.

Let me convince you what makes a Kalanchoe a perfect gift and why it should be right at the top of the list with our other traditional holiday plants. 

First and foremost, Kalanchoes have very showy flowers varying in colors of red, pink, orange, yellow and purple. It has a long-lasting bloom time of up to eight weeks, which is a huge plus. They offer waxy, beautifully scalloped foliage. These characteristics make it a standout plant, very competitive with our traditional holiday plants.

Kalanchoes is a genus of succulents native to Africa and Asia, and they make great house plants. They are easy to care for and require low maintenance. As succulents, they require less watering. Watering once a week will suffice during the blooming period. Once it has finished flowering, less water is needed. It is best to allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Abundant light encourages them to maintain a more compact growth habit. Avoid low-light areas, as the plants will get spindly.

Kalanchoes are short-day plants and bloom during our winter months. After flowering, it is good to upsize the pot to a slightly larger pot. Cut back the flower stems, and place the Kalanchoe in a warm, sunny window.

The plant can be moved outdoors in the summer after the danger of frost has passed. Choose a location that receives light shade. You will need to bring it back indoors before the first frost or roughly three months before your designed bloom time.

Once it’s brought indoors for the fall, place the plant in a room that gets natural daylight and no additional light during the dark hours. Once flowers are large enough to see, there is no need to worry about the light conditions, and they can be moved to another location if you would like to display them.

Kalanchoes rarely have any problems. The most common problem is watering either too much or too little. You may occasionally see a mealybug, aphid or scale. Manually remove the insect and, if necessary, isolate the plant.

I hope I have convinced you that if you are looking for a holiday plant, whether for yourself or a friend, consider a Kalanchoe and step outside the traditional holiday plants. It will be a great table display and a conversational piece this holiday season!

For more information about Kalanchoes, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/county-extension-offices.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Dec. 2, 2025

Source: Kelsey Deckert, 701-221-6865, kelsey.j.deckert@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu