Bloomin' Donkey Ears

My donkey ears are about to bloom (Giant Kalanchoe Gastonis Bonnieri). We bought this plant for it's oddness to add to the Harry Potter Garden. It's got these huge leaves that, when they first appear, are shaped like donkey ears. They're very large, thick, shiny leaves. And a cool feature is the babies it grows at the ends of the leaves. That's what clinched it for us as a Harry Potter Garden participant.


The donkey ears, in summer, sits outdoors among the Lamb's ear, pencil plant, funky ferns, a purple phlomis, some sort of epiphyllum, a saw-toothed-leaved kalenchoe and many other odd-looking plants, all given names from plants found in the Harry Potter books.

Not quite sure what'll happen to it after it blooms. Seems as though it's come to  an impasse and cannot grow anymore after the bloom. It has actually started to show signs of decline - it's more droopy, a leaf or two has withered, newer leaves aren't as perky and even the color has changed a bit. It's indoors as a houseplant because it's a zone 11 plant, and Buffalo is six zones away from that.

Here she is, on summer vacation with friends, in the Harry Potter Garden.

Venomous Tentacula from the Harry Potter books. It has a highly poisonous bite.

Here's the babies – growing at the tips of the leaves.

Even if the plant does decline and die, I have babies panted to ensure there
will be a plant for the Harry Potter Garden this year. Maybe two or more!