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cassandraduncan

Help please

10 years ago

all 3 photos are the same plant. Need help identify it as bottom leaves are turning yellow and dying i think. Though still has new growth in middle

Comments (2)

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Kalanchoe for sure. Probably a Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri also known as Donkey Ears. Also, and I hope someone can confirm this, the yellowing bottoms leaves may be natural. They seem to grow new top leaves and as they start to push down the bottom leaves will turn yellow and fall off.

  • 10 years ago

    Yep- K. gastonis bonnieri. Once the lower leaves have produced their pups, or the tips have become damaged to where it cannot produce pups, they will begin to dessicate. I've trimmed them off and also allowed them to remain so the plant could recoup energy from the leaf. I've noticed better new growth of the mother plant with trimming.

    Sometimes, you can remove a still fleshy leaf that is beat up and fading at the base, toss in a bright area out of direct sun, forget about it, and it will manage to pup after several weeks. Once the pups have several roots: remove gently from the leaf or remove with a chunk of mother leaf (allow a few days to callous if there's any open tissue), pot in well drained mix, place in protected area out of full sun, water very sparingly for several weeks. Transition to desired area slowly to prevent sun burn if moving to full sun.

    The leaves usually produce 1-2 pups at the leaf tip, but can produce a couple pups along the side as well if detached. I find that these really prefer lots of sun when in a mix that is slightly more water retentive than the gritty mix often mentioned here and do just fine without supplemental watering even here in drought ridden central Texas. When in a very coarse mix, they will need occasional supplemental watering when the leaves become softer to the touch. {zone 11? If it is a moist and rainy area, you may want quite a coarse well drained mix for optimal results and it may never need supplemental watering}

    I enjoy the 'jester's hat' appearance and unless I'm looking to propagate quickly, usually wait until the mother leaf is mostly a dry husk before potting up the pup. But that can take 6 months (even detached from the mother plant and unrooted in 100F temps), the pup's roots can be 4" long and the pup itself 3" wide! It's quite an impressive show, if left on the plant.

    Your plant looks like it has a lot of new growth, it's doing well. And trimming leaves, separating pups, etc. is up to your aesthetic preference and whether or not you want/ have space for more plantings.

    Good luck! I'm very fond of my donkey ears.

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