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Felt Bush

4.5 out of 5 (21 experiences)

Survivor

Large, lush leaves

About Felt Bush

Plants in the Kalanchoe genus are native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. They range from rubbery green leaves, to leopard print, and some are even fuzzy! The word Kalanchoe comes from the Cantonese name for these plants, pronounced Ka-lun-koh-ee in English. Their succulent leaves help store water during droughts, so they'll be just fine if you skip a watering or two (it happens!).

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Kalanchoe beharensis

Genus

Kalanchoe

Family

Crassulaceae

Order

Saxifragales

Also known as

Elephant's Ear Kalanchoe, Velvet Elephant Ear, Maltese Cross, Fang, kalanchoe 'fang' and Kalancho Beharensis

How to care for Felt Bush

💦 Water

How often to water your Felt Bush

Felt Bush needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Felt Bush in your home

Felt Bush love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Felt Bush does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Felt Bush in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Felt Bush

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Felt Bush: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Felt Bush after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Kalanchoe

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Felt Bush is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

How to Grow Felt Bush →

Benefits of Growing Felt Bush →

Common Felt Bush Problems →

Indoor Care Guide for Felt Bush →

Outdoor Care Guide for Felt Bush →

💦 Water Needs

Felt Bush thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Felt Bush Water Frequency →

Felt Bush Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Felt Bush requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Felt Bush Light Requirements →

Felt Bush Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Felt Bush is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. If you have children, cats, or dogs in the home, we suggest keeping this plant out of reach.

💨 Humidity

Felt Bush prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

Felt Bush Humidity Needs →

🪴 Soil

Felt Bush is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Felt Bush →

Best Pots for Felt Bush →

When and How to Successfully Repot Felt Bush →

What Are Healthy Felt Bush Roots →

💩 Fertilizer

Felt Bush should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Felt Bush →

❄️ Dormancy

It’s common for Felt Bush to go dormant in the summertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.

🌎 Native Region

Felt Bush is native to Madagascar and Tropical Africa.

🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your Felt Bush bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.

Felt Bush Flowers →

Is Felt Bush an Annual Plant? →

Is Felt Bush a Perennial Plant? →

Felt Bush Pollination Guide →

Common Felt Bush Flower Problems →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Felt Bush will branch off as it grows. To encourage branching, pinch off the newest growth at the tip and the stem will branch off into two.

Felt Bush Lifecycle →

Felt Bush Size Guide →

How and When to Prune Felt Bush →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Felt Bush can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9b-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Felt Bush Temperature Tolerance →

Felt Bush Hardiness Zones →

Landscaping Ideas with Felt Bush →

When to Plant Felt Bush →

How to Plant Felt Bush →

Where to Plant Felt Bush →

Winter Care for Felt Bush →

Best Companion Plants for Felt Bush →

Is Felt Bush a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

The seeds of Felt Bush can be used to grow new plants! After your plant flowers, any seeds that formed can be collected and germinated in potting soil.

How to Propagate Felt Bush →

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.

Common Bugs Affecting Felt Bush →

What Eats Felt Bush? →

😖 Common Issues

Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Felt Bush. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.

Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

Care Summary for Felt Bush

Felt Bush

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Survivor 16

Large, lush leaves 9

Fast grower 7

Easy to propagate 5

Blooms easily 2

@@strawberrymoon

22 Plants

18,698 XP

01/25/2022

a slow grower ngl, but that’s probably bc it’s winter here! but despite the slowness, her growth is definitely noticeable. haven’t had any problems with her at all and she’s very fluffy <3

Large, lush leaves

Survivor

Felt Bush plant photo by @strawberrymoon named io on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Pcerdas

59 Plants

975 XP

Lake Worth, FL

12/02/2021

Surprisingly easy to maintain

Survivor

Felt Bush plant photo by @Pcerdas named Faith on Greg, the plant care app.

@@haileycummings3

6 Plants

251 XP

Catskill, NY

11/07/2021

easy to care for

Easy to propagate

Felt Bush plant photo by @haileycummings3 named Homer on Greg, the plant care app.

@Ava

4 Plants

159 XP

Oxford, FL

10/21/2021

I feel as if it has a hard time rooting in to the soil. On multiple occasions I have bumped in to the table that I have it on. It has fallen out of the cup with barely any roots or soil on it. But I mean it is still live so.

Survivor

Felt Bush plant photo by Ava named Moe on Greg, the plant care app.

@@czecilia

9 Plants

1,137 XP

10/02/2021

Bought it when it wasn’t in the best shape, it lost a leaf but then recovered so quickly! It doesn’t require a lot of effort and it’s been growing so fast in the last couple of months! The leaves are beautiful and fuzzy, mine loves to sit in front of my west-facing window that gets plenty of direct sunlight in the afternoon.

Fast grower

Survivor

Large, lush leaves

Felt Bush plant photo by @czecilia named Jupiter on Greg, the plant care app.

@@honeyyvoiced

25 Plants

9,959 XP

Des Plaines, IL

08/25/2021

Very soft. Just be aware of the amount of water you give the plant

Large, lush leaves

Survivor

Felt Bush plant photo by @honeyyvoiced named Eros on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Gracemelissa98

21 Plants

1,257 XP

05/31/2021

Love love love! Bought a plant from Canadian tire and repotted had 4 separate root systems and 2 more starting! A great plant for sharing with other plant lovers!!

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Survivor

Felt Bush plant photo by @Gracemelissa98 named Olivia on Greg, the plant care app.

@@RobbertE

6 Plants

186 XP

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland

05/19/2021

Very special one, huge leaves. Madagascar inhabitant

Large, lush leaves

Survivor

Felt Bush plant photo by @RobbertE named Artist Anna on Greg, the plant care app.

@Sarah

4 Plants

86 XP

Whitman, MA

04/28/2021

It’s fuzzy and is a very happy plant in my pot with my other plants. It started as 1 small “branch” and is now 4 branches and a very healthy succulent with minimum effort. I recommend!!

Fast grower

Survivor