Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Teddy Bear Cactus, Pussy Ears

Description:

A pretty accent plant for a bright indoor area; oblong, gray-green leaves with reddish-brown spots have a unique felted texture; displays chartreuse flowers that are tinged with purple; a great houseplant that is easy to grow

Features & Attributes

Panda Plant features showy clusters of chartreuse bell-shaped flowers with purple streaks rising above the foliage from late winter to early spring. Its attractive succulent oval leaves remain grayish green in color with distinctive brick red spots and tinges of silver throughout the year.

This is an herbaceous evergreen houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. This plant may benefit from an occasional pruning to look its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Panda Plant can be expected to grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. This houseplant will do well in a location that gets either direct or indirect sunlight, although it will usually require a more brightly-lit environment than what artificial indoor lighting alone can provide. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and may die if left in standing water for any length of time. This plant should be watered when the surface of the soil gets dry, and will need watering approximately once each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --