Kalanchoe Gardening Subject Of Moorestown FEP Workshop

MOORESTOWN, NJ — On May 1, a small group of children and parents gathered on the grounds of the Moorestown Library for a replay of the Friends Enrichment Program’s (FEP) Nov. 3, 2019, kalanchoe gardening project, according to the FEP.

Just as Participants in the 2019 FEP project had done, participants in the library project decorated terra-cotta pots in which they planted kalanchoe plantlets. As they worked, they learned about the kalanchoe’s ability to reproduce itself in a multitude of ways, including from plantlets growing along the edges of their leaves.

FEP kids Casey and Jordan Muindi showed the group a kalanchoe they had planted at the FEP project. Once a plantlet that had been an inch or two high, their kalanchoe had grown into a large plant with plantlets attached. The boys noted that the kalanchoe project had been but one of many FEP activities they had enjoyed and benefited from.

With the coronavirus pandemic still presenting a threat, the kalanchoe project was an opportunity to celebrate life with a plant whose life itself is a celebration of life.

Variously called mother-of-thousands, Mexican hat plant, alligator plant, or crocodile plant, Kalanchoe Daigremontiana is a native of a river valley and mountainous region of Madagascar. There it grows on arid, rocky soil. Like cactuses, kalanchoes are succulents. They have fleshy, juicy tissues that retain water and nutrients and are thus specifically adapted for life on dry land.

As house plants, Kalanchoes Daigremontiana are easy to care for, the FEP said. However, they should be kept out of the reach of small children because they contain toxic steroids that could cause serious illness if ingested. They should not be planted outdoors, where they may quickly become weeds in gardens and threats to native habitats and livelihoods.

The kalanchoe project was a collaborative effort between the library and the FEP team. Jennifer Dunne, Principal Librarian for Children’s Services, was the facilitator. FEP co-chair Monique Begg, the presenter, was assisted by FEP co-chair Barbara Kreider, long-time FEP volunteer Vivian Banks, and FEP photographer Daniel Begg.

By all accounts, the library kalanchoe project was a success.

“I loved it,” said Brandy Ross, who participated with her daughter, Zoe Campbell, and her niece, Aveonah Mendez. “It was educational and different.”

And said Amanda Appleton, Dunne’s daughter: “It was a fun program, and I’d like to do it again.”