The Sun-Loving Flowering Container Plant That Fills Planters With Lasting Blooms

Do you dream of your sun-drenched patio or window boxes filled with gorgeous blooms that can brighten up those warmer days of spring? Or, how about a stunning container plant that can fill your sunny windowsill with glorious color in fall and winter? While there are plenty of outstanding options, there's one species of a sun-loving flowering plant that stands out from the rest: florist kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana). Easy to grow and maintain, this gem can fill your planters with lasting blooms in a whole assortment of colors, such as yellow, orange, pink, red, and white. It's definitely one of those colorful houseplants that will perk up your indoor space, while also brightening up your outdoor areas during the warmer months.

Hailing from the tropical climate of Madagascar, florist kalanchoe is the perfect container plant you can place outdoors in the warmer months and then bring back inside once temperatures start to fall. It grows best with daytime temperatures around 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime ones that stay above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. What you'll love most about kalanchoe is that those delightful flowers can last for several weeks, and you can even prolong flowering by deadheading the spent blooms.

While florist kalanchoe loves the sunshine, in hotter regions like USDA hardiness zones 10 through 12, it's happier when given some shade in the afternoon to prevent the leaves from scorching. As a succulent, this plant should be grown in a cactus-type potting mix that offers good drainage, and a container that has holes in the base so extra water can easily drain away. You'll only need to water your kalanchoe once the soil has dried, when you want to give it a decent soaking, while taking care to let any excess water escape straight away. This low-watering requirement is why kalanchoe is one of many houseplants that thrive in dry climates.

As kalanchoes are short-day plants, there's a little trick you'll need to know to encourage them to rebloom. Once all the flowers have finished, you want to ensure your plant gets around 14 to 16 hours of darkness daily for around six weeks. You can either place it in a dark room or even in a closet during the night before bringing it out into bright light during the day. This long period of darkness will initiate the formation of flower buds so you can enjoy those magical blooms once again. Just remember that this popular succulent is toxic to pets and children, so keep it well away from your furry friends and the younger members of your household.