Kalanchoe beharensis 'Maltese Cross'
Sprouts of BristolThis striking, sculptural plant is a true standout with its large, velvety, silver-green leaves that are shaped like Maltese crosses. Its unique foliage has a felt-like texture and serrated edges, giving it a bold, architectural appeal. A slow-growing succulent, Kalanchoe beharensis ‘Maltese Cross’ thrives with minimal care, making it an ideal choice for those looking to add a touch of drama to their indoor or outdoor plant collections.
Scientific Name
Kalanchoe beharensis ‘Maltese Cross’ (Kalanchoe, native to Behara, cultivar: Maltese Cross)
Any reclassifications, history about the origins, discovery or botanist who named it
This plant originates from Madagascar and is named after the Behara region. The ‘Maltese Cross’ cultivar is a modern selection, chosen for its distinctive leaf shape resembling the Maltese cross emblem.
Common Name(s)
Maltese Cross Plant, Velvet Elephant Ear, Felt Bush
Origin
Native to Madagascar, specifically in arid and rocky regions.
Light
Prefers bright, indirect light or direct morning and evening sun. It can tolerate full sun outdoors but should be acclimatised gradually to prevent scorching. Indoors, a south-facing or west-facing window works well.
Water
Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Water sparingly, especially in winter, as overwatering can cause root rot. Always ensure excess water drains away.
Humidity
Thrives in low-humidity environments, as it is adapted to dry conditions. Avoid placing in overly humid areas such as bathrooms. Dust the leaves occasionally to keep them clean and healthy.
Soil
Use a well-draining soil mix, such as one designed for cacti and succulents. Adding sand or perlite can improve drainage. Repot every 2–3 years in spring with fresh soil.
Food
Feed once every 6–8 weeks during the growing season (spring and summer) with a diluted, balanced liquid fertiliser. Feeding is unnecessary during autumn and winter.
Temperature
Prefers temperatures between 18–27°C. Avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures below 10°C, as it is not frost-hardy.
Pet-safe
Toxic if ingested. Keep out of reach of pets and children.
Sprouts Top Tips
Keep an eye on leaf colour and texture. If the plant begins to look leggy or pale, it may need more light. Rotate the plant regularly for even growth and to prevent it from leaning towards the light source.
Extras
The fuzzy coating on the leaves helps reduce water loss and reflects sunlight, making it perfectly adapted to its natural environment. This coating also makes it feel like suede to the touch, adding an extra tactile element to its beauty.
Did You Know?
Kalanchoe beharensis was first discovered in Madagascar and brought to Europe by French botanists in the 20th century. Its name reflects its Madagascan roots, with “beharensis” referring to the Behara region where it grows naturally.
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
Check out The Sprouts Blog
Sprouts insights to house plants, gardening, our favourite brands and plant hire case studies.
