Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora Care – How to Grow Indoor Paddle Plants

The Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora is a striking, low-maintenance succulent houseplant. It grows fleshy leaves, shaped like paddles, stacked like a bunch of flapjacks. This is where it gets the nickname Flapjack or Paddle plant.

The gray-green leaves form a rosette and are about 3 to 4 inches long and wide. They turn red on the edges in high light and are covered in a white powder. It likes full sun, infrequent watering, and low humidity. 

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Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora

Scientific name: Kalanchoe thyrsiflora. Common names: Kalanchoe flapjack, desert rose, pancake plant, or paddle plant.

The paddle plant is part of the Crassulaceae family and is native to dry, rocky areas in South Africa. It is closely related, and often confused with, the Kalanchoe luciae. Both species are very similar in looks and care. The leaves of K. luciae turn redder when exposed to sun and the flowers are not as fragrant or bright yellow as the ones of the K. thyrsiflora.

Related reading: Basic Guide to Succulent Care.

Light Requirements

The Kalanchoe thyrsiflora plant prefers bright light to full sun. Indoors it does best in a bright, sunny window.

The brighter the light conditions, the more pronounced the red leaf margins on the otherwise green leaves will be. Leaves will stay greener in low light. If you can not give your plant enough natural light, consider using a grow lamp.   

Avoid too much direct sunlight on hot summer days. Dry, brown spots on the leaves can be a sign of sunburn. Move your plant further away from the window, or filter the light with a sheer curtain.  

Leaves drooping and curling downwards often means that the plant is trying to get more exposure to light by maximizing the leaf surface area.

When the leaves are curling up and inwards, it is the opposite. The paddle plant is protecting itself by reducing its exposure to hot sun.   

Watering

Paddle plants are very drought-resistant, they do not like soggy soil. In their native habitat, flapjacks go through long dry spells followed by heavy rainfall. While waiting for rain or indoor watering, they store water in their leaves.

Indoors, allow the soil to dry out before watering generously. To check if it is time to water, feel the leaves and inspect the soil.

Drooping, wrinkled leaves are a sign your plant needs water. To check the soil, stick your finger one to two inches below the surface. If it feels moist, don’t water but wait one or two days and check again. If the soil feels dry, go ahead and water thoroughly to saturate all of the soil. Allow all excess water to drain out of the bottom of the pot. You can use a moisture meter to help you out with when to water

Use a watering can with a long spout to reach the soil and not get any water in the crown of the plant, and do not wash off the white powder on the leaves. You can also soak the soil by watering from the bottom rather than from the top.

Don’t water too often. Overwatering is a common problem with these plants. Frequent overwatering can lead to root rot problems. If roots rot, they lose the ability to absorb water and thus can’t supply any water to the plant. Overwatered plant paddle leaves will look translucent and feel mushy.

Water very sparingly in winter. Water just enough to make sure not to let the leaves shrivel up completely. 

Related reading: How to water succulents – Moisture meter use tips.

Fertilizing

Kalanchoe plants generally don’t need a lot of fertilizer. You can fertilize to supplement poor soil or give your plant a boost during the growing season. Use a diluted succulent fertilizer to feed your indoor paddle plant two to four times a year in spring and summer.  

Don’t fertilize in winter when the plant goes into dormancy and growth slows down. Also never fertilize if your plant is recently repotted or is having issues. Fertilizer is not a plant medicine. It will only stress out an already stressed-out plant. Analyze, adjust, and when your plant recovers, continue your normal care routine.  

Humidity

Paddle plants are not very needy when it comes to humidity levels. They can grow in average household humidity. No need for misting either. 

Soil and Repotting

Repot your paddle plant every two to three years in spring when the plant is actively growing. The soil will have lost its nutrients and will need to be replaced with fresh well-draining succulent soil. Pumice or perlite can be added to help aerate the soil and improve drainage.   

If your plant is overcrowding its pot, repot it in a pot one size bigger than the original. Make sure the new pot has drainage holes on the bottom. Without those, excess water has no way to get out and will drown the roots.  

Related reading: Tips on how to repot your plants.   

Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora Propagation

Paddle plants can be propagated by rooting leaves, removing pups, or cutting the heads of the stem. Leaf propagation is possible, but has the lowest success rate for this plant.

When a paddle plant matures, it grows offsets or pups around its base. These are easy to separate and potted up separately.

Over time, the paddle plant can grow tall, and older, lower can leaves fall off, leaving an empty stem on the bottom. When this happens, you can cut the heads off. The stem cuttings can be callused and rooted in water or soil.

Related reading: Succulent propagation – 6 ways to propagate your plants. 

White Powder on the Leaves

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora succulents have a white powder coating on the leaves and stems. This white powder is completely natural and is called farina or epicuticular wax.

This dusty layer prevents the plant from getting burnt by intense sun and protects against rainwater so the leaves don’t get moldy. The powdery bloom also helps to reduce water evaporation through the leaves making the paddle plant even more drought resistant.

Don’t mistake this white powder for some type of fungus or mildew. No need to remove it. Don’t touch the leaves too much since this will damage the coating.

Flowers on a Paddle Plant

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora plants bloom after they fully mature, which usually is after 3 to 4 years. Clusters of fragrant tubular yellow flowers grow on tall stalks from the center of the rosette.

Important to know: This is a monocarpic plant. This means it flowers once and then dies. The good thing is that monocarpic plants produce offsets or pups before they wilt away.

The baby pups grow at the base of the plant. The pups are easy to remove and can be replanted. So no need to be sad that you are losing your plant after flowering. You can start over with multiples!

Plant Pests

Flapjack paddle plants are not very prone to pests, but they can be affected. Watch out for scale insects, aphids, mealy bugs, and spider mites.

Inspect your plant regularly for signs of bugs to catch a possible infestation before it becomes severe. Look carefully under the leaves where insects like to hide. 

Related reading: Common houseplant pests and what you can do to get rid of them. 

Is Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora Toxic to Cats?

Kalanchoe plants are considered mildly poisonous when ingested. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and in rare cases an abnormal heart rhythm.

Although it is very rare for pets to get seriously hurt from eating plants, keep this one out of reach of children and pets. 

Related reading: Pet safe house plants.