Why people love it
Flaming Katy is the succulent you find blooming in grocery stores in winter. Each flower head holds dozens of small, four-petaled blooms, and they last for weeks. When it isn’t flowering, its thick, glossy leaves still look good on a windowsill.
Care in a nutshell
- Bright light keeps it compact. In dim light, stems stretch and flowers fade fast.
- Water a little more often than most succulents. It’s thirstier while it flowers. Still, let the top of the soil dry between drinks.
- Snip off spent flowers. Cut the whole flower stalk back once it fades. This keeps the plant tidy and saves its energy.
Getting it to flower again
Flaming Katy flowers when nights are long. To get new buds, give it about 14 hours of full darkness every night for about six weeks. A closet or a box over the plant at night works. Bring it back into bright light each day. Buds usually appear a few weeks later.
Watch out for
- Mushy, collapsing stems mean too much water, often from a pot without a drainage hole. Shop plants often come in decorative sleeves that trap water, so remove the sleeve.
- Leggy, pale growth means it needs more light. Cut the stretched stems back in spring and root the tips.
Fun fact: Flaming Katy is a “short-day” plant. It measures the length of the night to decide when to bloom, which is why it flowers in winter.
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