Boy, was that plant tag off!

The plant in question is Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Desert Rose' and it is certainly NOT an annual!! It can live for any number of years with proper care but it just can't tolerate freezing temperatures. Outside of places like the southwest and Florida or Gulf Coast Texas where these can live year round outdoors, most folks grow them in containers, taking them outdoors for summer and bringing inside before cold weather.

They are a succulent so need a very porous, fast draining soil like cactus or gritty mix. And they need LOTS of bright light. This guy would be fine in full sun and have even more of a reddish tint on the foliage. Water very sparingly, especially in winter. You can up-pot to a slightly larger size but you do not need anything much larger. Most succs have pretty confined root systems. The plant will grow up vertically primarily but if happy will also produce pups. Once the mother plant gets ready to bloom, you want to separate the pups and plant them on their own. They will take over after the mother dies after blooming.

There is a entire forum here on GW dedicated to growing cacti and succulents, both outdoors and as houseplants. You may find it helpful to read through some of their posts for care, etc.

btw, this also has several synonyms, including Kalanchoe luciae and K. tetraphylla

Thank you so much! I'm a novice but this plant didn't look like something that would fold up shop at the end of the summer ... I did research online and hunch was it could survive inside but am wondering about the flowering part of the equation? Perhaps it's still too young? The plant consists of big thick leaves at this point, I can't imagine where a flower might bloom from. Anyway, I'm thankful for your answer- I was confused and your reply regarding pot size helpful

Gwen, the plant grows upward, with the newest growth on the top of the plant. When it gets ready to bloom - and yes, too young now - that growth will kind of elongate, the leaves it produces will be smaller (and often with pups developing in between the smaller uppermost leaves) and eventually this elongation will develop into a flower stalk. When this happens you want to collect and replant the pups from around the base or off the new flower stem.

Somewhat like hens and chicks, the plant is monocarpic, meaning it flowers once and then dies. But by the time it happens there should numerous "chicks" (the pups) ready and wiling to take over.

All great info!