Kalanchoe pinnata /ˌkælənˈkoʊɪ/
Common name: Cathedral bells · Life plant · Miracle leaf · Air plant
Kalanchoe pinnata is a succulent perennial in the family Crassulaceae, native to Madagascar but now widespread in tropical regions around the world. It has fleshy, pinnately divided or scalloped leaves and produces tall flower stalks bearing pendulous, bell-shaped, greenish-pink to purple flowers. It is cultivated as a curiosity plant and in traditional medicine, and is famous for producing tiny plantlets along its leaf margins.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Water
Sparingly; drought tolerant
Soil
Sandy, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Zones 9b–11
Mature height
About 30–100 cm (1–3.3 ft)
Pet safe
No — toxic if ingested
Difficulty
Easy
Propagation
Famously self-propagating: tiny plantlets form along the leaf margins and drop off to root wherever they land. A single leaf laid on or pressed lightly into moist, sandy soil will also produce new plantlets at its edges. Stem sections root easily too if allowed to callus for a day before planting.
Fun facts
- Detached leaves laid on soil can sprout whole new plants from their notched margins — hence the name "life plant."
- The species was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1786, reportedly from a specimen grown in Paris.
- It has a long history of use in traditional medicine in tropical Asia, Africa, and the Americas for ailments from coughs to wounds.
- In some tropical regions it has naturalized so vigorously that it is considered an environmental weed.