Q: I know you are not a Florida gardener but, I thought you might be able to send me to someone who can identify this plant. It was blooming at Christmas near our home in Port Charlotte. It is so unusual and beautiful, but I don’t have a clue as to what it is.

A: She’s not a Florida gardener either but my friend Shannon Pable sends this reply:

“This was a tough one but finally found it!!! I was looking at the plant and it made me think of Sedum (succulent, flowers in an umbel, etc)…well sedum is in the Crassulaceae family…so I started searching in that family for something that had cylindrical leaves. I have a wonderful book on plant families, Botany in a Day…it’s awesome for helping with plant ID.

“The proper identification is Kalanchoe tubiflora or Chandelier Plant. Is a non-native, and sometimes a weedy invasive.

Here’s more info on it::

From GardenWeb “Kalanchoe tubiflora coming into flower”

Plants of Hawaii

Wildflowers of the Southeastern U.S.