Taxon: Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers.

Summary

Genus:

Kalanchoe

Section:

Bryophyllum

Family:

Crassulaceae

Subfamily:

Sedoideae

Tribe:

Kalanchoeae

Nomen number:

21076

Place of publication:

Syn. pl. 1:446. 1805

Verified:

11/29/2005 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

1 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Cotyledon pinnata Lam.

Autonym(s)
Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. var. pinnata

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Bryophyllum calycinum Salisb.
Crassula pinnata L. f.
Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. var. calcicola H. Perrier
Sedum madagascaricum Clus. ex Fröd., nom. inval.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Correa, J. E. & H. Y. Bernal. 1989-1998. Especies vegetales promisorias de los paises del Convenio Andres Bello. Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Eggli, U., ed. 2003. Illustrated handbook of succulent plants: Crassulaceae 169.
El-Hadidi, M. N. & M. S. Abdallah. 1980-. Flora of Egypt. Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken
Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
García, J. M. & L. L. Chávez. 2003. Las Crasuláceas de México
Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2. Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):163-167. Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	airplant		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	cathedral-bells	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	1	Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
English	curtainplant		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	floppers		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	good-luck-leaf		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	lifeplant		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	Mexican loveplant		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	miracle-leaf		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	mother-in-law		1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	tree-of-life	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	1	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
German	Schwiegermutterpflanze	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Spanish	hoja del aire	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	2	Correa, J. E. & H. Y. Bernal. 1989-1998. Especies vegetales promisorias de los paises del Convenio Andres Bello. Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Swedish	fjäderkalankoe		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Cabo Verde			Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Azores		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	British Indian Ocean Terr	Diego Garcia		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Mauritius			Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Reunion			Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Seychelles			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	China	China			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Ryukyu Islands		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Bhutan			Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal			Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Philippines			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Papua New Guinea			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Solomon Islands			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia			Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		García, J. M. & L. L. Chávez. 2003. Las Crasuláceas de México
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		García, J. M. & L. L. Chávez. 2003. Las Crasuláceas de México
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		García, J. M. & L. L. Chávez. 2003. Las Crasuláceas de México
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		García, J. M. & L. L. Chávez. 2003. Las Crasuláceas de México
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	United States Minor Outlying Islands		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	Micronesia			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	Palau			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	United States	Guam		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	United States	United States Minor Outlying Islands		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	Cook Islands			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	French Polynesia			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Fiji			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Kiribati	Gilbert Islands		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Nauru			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	New Caledonia			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Niue			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Tonga			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	United States	American Samoa		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	West Indies			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Corrientes		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador			Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Galápagos
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45

Native
Africa

WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde, Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Azores, Madeira Islands]
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: British Indian Ocean Terr [Diego Garcia], Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China
EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Ryukyu Islands], Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal
PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chiapas, Hidalgo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii, United States Minor Outlying Islands]
NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia, Palau, United States [Guam, United States Minor Outlying Islands]
SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: Cook Islands, French Polynesia
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Fiji, Kiribati [Gilbert Islands], New Caledonia, Niue, Nauru, Tonga, United States [American Samoa]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: West Indies
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuador [Galápagos], Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina [Corrientes]

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
García, J. M. & L. L. Chávez. 2003. Las Crasuláceas de México
Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds Note: as Bryophyllum pinnatum
Medicines	folklore		McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicines	folklore	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Medicines	folklore	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):163-167. Note: = Bryophyllum pinnatum
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	as Bryophyllum pinnatum	Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):166. Note: as Bryophyllum pinnatum
Weed		as Bryophyllum pinnatum	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds Note: as Bryophyllum pinnatum

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=21076. Accessed 17 April 2026.