Pronounciation: Kal-an-KO-ee tom-en-TOE-sa

Hardiness zones
Sunset 13-24
USDA 9 (with protection)-11

Landscape Use: Textural and color accent, container plant, tender succulent gardens.

Form & Character: Rounded, soft, warm and fuzzy, loveable, tender.

Growth Habit: Herbaceous perennial succulent with an upright, many branched, and rounded habit to 2-feet high with equal spread, often smaller in Phoenix.

Foliage/Texture: Succulent, sessile, densely tomentose, oval, slightly cupped, glaucous leaves with unique reddish to dark brown striped patterten near leaf apex; medium texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Terminal spikes to 12 inches of small, dull flowers, not very ornamental; fruits inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: None

Temperature: Frost sensitive, and intolerant of heat above 110^oF.

Light: In Phoenix, full sun (eastern exposures only) to light shade, avoid completely highly reflected light environments and western, afternoon exposures.

Soil: All soil types, as long as well drained.

Watering: Very infrequent.

Pruning: Light, infrequent tip pruning only to improve rounded shape.

Propagation: Terminal stem tip cuttings, leaf cuttings.

Disease and Pests: Mealy bugs in interior envoronments, root rot in poorly drained soils.

Additional comments: Panda plant is an excellent succulent plant for patio containers or containers at eastern residential entries. The cultivar 'Chocolate Soldier' has leaves that are more red-brown all around the edges, thinner and longer than the standard species. It also grows a bit faster with more of a clumping habit.