Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier'

Also Known As

Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate'
Chocolate Panda Plant
Chocolate Soldier Panda Plant
Panda Plant
Plush plant
Pussy Ears
Teddy Bear Cactus

Plant type

cactus / succulent

size

H: 12"-18"
W: 8"-18"

planting zones

9b-12

More Options

Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' plant details

Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' is an evergreen cactus / succulent with bronze, chartreuse, chocolate and gold foliage. In summer chartreuse and green flowers emerge. Features fuzzy texture. Grows well with sun - shade and regular - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers to be dry in winter. Does well in acidic, alkaline, average, gritty and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something seaside / salt tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier'

Plant type: cactus / succulent
Plant family: crassulaceae
Foliage: evergreen bronze, chartreuse, chocolate and gold
Mature size: 8 IN - 18 IN - wide, 12 IN - 18 IN - tall
Flowers: chartreuse and green blooms in summer
Uses: container plant, easy-to-grow, houseplant, infrequent-blooming, rock garden, tropical-looking, xeric, year round interest

GROWING CONDITIONS for Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier'

USDA Zones: 9b - 12
Sun exposure: sun - shade
Watering frequency: regular - low
Resistant to: seaside / salt
Soil needs: acidic, alkaline, average, gritty and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Kalanchoe tomentosa ‘Chocolate Soldier’ is a wonderful variety in the Panda Plant family, known for its unique, felted texture. Forms a dense, upright bush of oblong, olive green to brownish leaves. Dark spots line the edges of the hairy succulent foliage. Clusters of yellow-green flowers bloom on tall stems above the foliage. Over time, this succulent will form a woody stem with clumping branches. Panda plant is great in a seasonal container, or as an indoor houseplant. Prefers low humidity, a well-drained, humus-rich soil and infrequent waterings. Be careful about exposing them to direct, late afternoon sunlight, as they are susceptible to leaf burn. Protect your PRINCE OF PARADISE™ from frost!

By: Little Prince of Oregon

Light Shade. Indoor/Outdoor (Patio). Dark Pink Bell-shaped Flowers.

By: Moon - Sun Cactus & Koi Gardens

PANDA PLANT - A succulent with oval 2" leaves, tanish grey, woolly, fuzzy, margins dark brown to chocolate, especially at the tips. Occasionally pale yellow flowers in winter. Grows to 12-18", branched, tolerates neglect. Needs well drained gritty soil. Hardy zone 9. Sun to light shade.

By: Accents for Home and Garden

The Teddy Bear Plant is covered in fine brown hairs giving it a soft brown appearance. Each thick succulent leaf is tipped with dark brown markings. This is an easily grown indoor or patio plant for well-drained soils. Teddy Bear Plant and Panda Plant are very similar the only real difference between the two is the coloration of the leaf hairs.

By: Almost Eden

Love our little Chocolate Soldiers! They form clumps of 2-3" furry olive gray oval leaves on sturdy stems and are tinted and edged in dark brown. Occasional Pale yellow flowers on upright stems appear in winter. Plants will become multibranched if pinched back, and you can always stick the cuttings.

By: Avant Gardens

It is the chocolate-brown margins and nearly black tips of the fuzzy, 2", oval leaves that give this plant its cultivar name. A succulent shrublet from Madagascar, forming clumps or tiny, tree-like plants, up to 1.5' tall, the leaves covered with silver-white fur. Bitty green flowers are rarely produced. Best in light shade to shade in very-well-drained soil with very little moisture, needing water only once month in season and never in winter -- even in pot culture. Frost hardy to 25 °F, mid USDA zone 9, for brief spells. Otherwise a great pot plant.