Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Blue Slick Elephant's Ear
Blue Slick Elephant's Ear is a smooth, hairless form of the velvet elephant's ear kalanchoe, with large, toothed, triangular leaves in blue-green. It grows slowly into a tree-like shrub about 3 to 8 feet tall. It works in a large pot or as a specimen plant. It needs little water once rooted. In the Valley it does best with some shade from the hot afternoon sun.
Best for: large pots, specimen spots and covered patios with some afternoon shade.
It grows slowly and does well in a large pot. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining cactus mix, and move it under cover on frost nights.
Planted out, it becomes a tree-like shrub 3 to 8 feet tall. It makes a sculptural single specimen with big blue-green leaves.
It grows in full sun to shade. In the Valley, a spot with morning sun and shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer suits it best.
It is frost tender and can be hurt near 30 to 32°F. Soggy soil can rot it. It is toxic to dogs and cats if eaten, so keep chewing pets away from it.
Water a new plant to get its roots going, then let the soil dry between waterings. Once rooted it needs little water. Keep it on the dry side in winter.
This plant is frost tender. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, not plastic, and uncover it in the morning. Move potted plants under cover.
Give it morning sun and shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer. Water sparingly in the summer heat rather than often.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Blue Slick Elephant's Ear get?
It grows into a tree-like shrub about 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It grows slowly, so it takes years to get there. Give it room, or keep it in a large pot.
How is Blue Slick different from regular elephant's ear kalanchoe?
Regular elephant's ear has leaves covered in soft brown felt. Blue Slick is a smooth, hairless form with blue-green leaves. Care is the same for both.
Is it toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. Kalanchoe is toxic to dogs and cats if eaten, most often causing vomiting and diarrhea. Heart rhythm problems are rare and depend on how much is eaten. Keep pets from chewing it, and call your vet if they do.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to shade. In the Valley, give it morning sun and some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer. Too much hot sun can burn the leaves.
How often should I water it?
Water only when the soil is dry, then let it dry out again. Keep it on the dry side in winter, since wet soil in cold weather can rot it.
Can it handle frost?
No. It is frost tender and can be hurt near 30 to 32°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth down to the ground or move a potted plant under cover.
Does it flower?
Mature plants can bloom in winter with small yellow-green flowers. Keep pets away from the flowers, since they carry more toxin than the leaves.
When is the best time to plant it?
Plant it in spring after frost danger passes, in March or April, so it roots in before summer. Early fall works too, but avoid planting in the summer heat.
Blue Slick Elephant's Ear for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Blue Slick Elephant's Ear is a smooth-leaved form of Kalanchoe beharensis, the velvet elephant's ear, with large blue-green leaves. It grows slowly into a tree-like shrub. This page covers its size, sun and shade in the Valley, water, frost, pets, planting months and soil.
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How big does Blue Slick Elephant's Ear get?
It grows slowly into a tree-like shrub about 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It also does well in a large pot.
Blue Slick vs velvet elephant's ear kalanchoe
Both plants are Kalanchoe beharensis. The regular form has leaves covered in soft brown felt, while Blue Slick is a smooth, hairless form with blue-green leaves. They grow and are cared for the same way.
Does elephant's ear kalanchoe need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to shade. In the Valley, morning sun with shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer suits it best, and it needs only sparing water in the heat.
Is elephant's ear kalanchoe frost hardy?
No. It is frost tender and can be hurt near 30 to 32°F. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, keep the soil dry in winter, and move pots under cover.
Is kalanchoe toxic to pets?
Yes. Kalanchoe is toxic to dogs and cats if eaten. Vomiting and diarrhea are the usual signs, and heart rhythm problems are rare. Keep pets from chewing it and call your vet if they do.
When to plant Blue Slick Elephant's Ear in the Valley
Plant it in March or April, after frost danger, so it roots in before summer. September and October also work. Summer planting is hardest on young plants.
Growing elephant's ear kalanchoe in a pot
Use a large pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining cactus mix. Water when the mix is dry. Move it under cover on frost nights.
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