Kalanchoe luciae 'Oricula' | Shrek's Ears
€10,60
🌱 Morphology
Shrek’s ear, paddle plant, or red flapjack. Kalanchoe luciae ‘Oricula’ is a horticultural mutation of Kalanchoe luciae, discovered by Ron van Leeuwen in the Netherlands. For some time, it was erroneously distributed as a mutation of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora.
It forms a rosette of fleshy leaves, usually on a short stem that may lengthen with age. The leaves of ‘Oricula’ are much narrower and more elongated than those of the typical form, with an oblong outline and margins that are characteristically curled inward, sometimes taking on an almost tubular cross-section. This characteristic is precisely what makes the cultivar recognizable.
The surface is smooth and glabrous, grayish-green to yellowish-green in color, and the margins acquire reddish, pink, or purplish-red tones when the plant receives intense lighting. The leaves are arranged densely, forming a rosette that can reach approximately 20–30 cm in diameter, while the entire plant can reach about 30–60 cm in height.
An exceptional characteristic is cresting or fasciation, which can transform the growing point and produce flattened and widened structures. This anomaly is extraordinarily well-documented in ‘Oricula’ and constitutes one of its main ornamental values.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Crassulaceae. ‘Oricula’ is a horticultural cultivar/mutation and, therefore, does not have its own wild distribution.
The species from which it originates, Kalanchoe luciae, is native to Eswatini, South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, where it grows in seasonally dry tropical environments. Kew classifies it as a biennial succulent.
In its habitat, K. luciae appears in open, seasonally dry environments, and its fleshy leaves allow it to store water during periods of drought.
❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 9b–11a
It is a warm-climate succulent that tolerates relatively cool temperatures if kept dry, but it should not be exposed to prolonged frost.
In Mediterranean cultivation, it is advisable to protect it, especially when temperatures approach 5 °C, particularly if the substrate remains moist. Real tolerance depends on acclimatization, the duration of the cold, and the plant's water status.
☀️ Lighting
It needs a lot of light to maintain the compactness of the rosette and develop the characteristic reddish coloration of the margins.
Indicative DLI PAR: 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹.
It can be grown in full sun after progressive acclimatization. Intense lighting, especially combined with moderately low temperatures, favors the reddish and purple pigmentation of the leaves.
In summer, if extreme radiation and very high temperatures coincide, slight protection during the central hours may be advisable, always maintaining high luminosity and good ventilation.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
- Kalanchoe luciae* shows its main activity during periods of moderate temperatures and seasonal water availability, while extreme conditions can slow down growth. It is opportunistic.
It is recommended to perform abundant waterings and allow the substrate to dry completely before watering again. During the winter, if temperatures are low, watering should be spaced out considerably.
In this species, it is especially important to prevent the roots from remaining damp for prolonged periods of cold.
🌸 Flowering
When it reaches maturity, it develops a tall, branched floral stem that emerges from the center of the rosette. Flowering is usually terminal and, as occurs in other monocarpic species of the group, the rosette that flowers may finish its cycle after flowering, although the plant usually perpetuates itself through offsets.
The flowers of Kalanchoe luciae are white, with characteristically shaped corollas, distinguishing it from K. thyrsiflora, whose flowers are yellow and of a different morphology.
Under Mediterranean cultivation conditions, flowering can be expected approximately between January and April, although the date depends on the maturity of the plant and environmental conditions.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied moderately and avoiding excess nitrogen that produces excessively large leaves and soft tissues.
Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering, especially in adult specimens that have reached sufficient size and receive high lighting.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technical square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and bio-fungicides.
📏 Gourmet xerophyte in a 13x13 cm pot.
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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