Kalanchoe luciae - Paddle Plant (Flapjacks)

Paddle Plant (Kalanchoe luciae) (aka Flapjacks) (Hamet): An eye-catching soft succulent with a unique form that grows in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland. Its wide, round leaves fan out like clam shells and can grow wavy over time. Moderate stress from direct sun and cool temperatures (around 40F) will induce the pink color of the leaf edges to deepen and spread.

With time the leaves can grow up to 6.0" wide and rosettes produce new offsets at their bases. Paddle Plant is a monocarpic plant; after several years it will produce a bloom stalk up to 3.0' tall with pale yellow, tubular flowers. The flowering rosette will die but its offsets will live on. The offsets can be transplanted or left to form dense clusters.

K. luciae grows best in hot, sunny areas with great drainage. It can take a bit more water than other succulents, particularly in hot summers. As a soft succulent, it needs protection from frost, but can overwinter indoors near a sunny window or under a grow light. Plant in containers with drainage holes and . Water deeply, but only when the soil is completely dry.

After trials by the Royal Horticultural Society, K. luciae won the for cultivation performance in 2012.