Tell Me, Where is Gandalf?

I have a habit of buying plants based not on whether I think I can keep them alive, but on what the particular cultivar is named. I’m a sucker for a good name.

I’ve fallen prey to a Frozen Margarita hosta, now planted happily next to a Guacamole hosta, and not far from my Mojito elephant ear. I’ve also purchased several succulents that had Lord of the Rings themed names: Gandalf, Hobbits, and Gollum. I don’t know about the legitimacy of these being actual cultivars, maybe I got conned by the garden center, but what can I say? I’m a sucker.

I looked out the window to my succulent stand that I recently moved outside and felt like I was in the Mines of Moria with the fellowship. Between insufficient light through the winter and the burning heat of early summer, one of my oldest, happiest plants is not doing so great. It seems that Gandalf, true to his name, after a valiant battle with shadow and flame, has fallen.

I gave him a thorough watering and put the little flamingo stirrers in the pot to try and prop up what’s left, but I fear I am too late. I trimmed off one of the three stalks and pulled some of the “leaves” off to try and propagate new ones, but I’ve never been very successful with this in the past.

The sun is out, but it is a dark day, indeed.