Plant of the Month December 2024: Copper Spoons (Kalanchoe orgyalis):

Before we put a wrap on the year 2024, I’d like to spotlight a very unique succulent as our December Plant of the Month: Kalanchoe orgyalis, better known as “Copper Spoons”. While we’ve covered other Kalanchoe varieties such as the Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) and the Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), Copper Spoons differentiates itself from other Kalanchoes by its distinctly shaped and colored leaves. As the namesake suggests, this succulent has copper colored leaves in a shape similar to the fancy utensils my mom brings out once a year for Christmas Eve Dinner. Each leaf is covered in tiny star shaped hairs that create a sandpaper-like texture on the leaves, it almost looks like a dusting of cinnamon over the plant. Over time, you may start to notice the leaves turn more grey green like the underside of the leaves. Copper Spoons succulents are native to Southern and Southwestern Madagascar, often growing as a shrub between bushes on rocky outcrops and dry soils.

Copper Spoons can also flower like other Kalanchoe plants. While it’s unlikely to happen under houseplant conditions, they can bloom small yellow flowers from the late winter till early spring. And like other Kalanchoe plants, they’re quite toxic to pets! So we definitely recommend keeping them away from any furbabies you might have at home. If you’d really like to have a Copper Spoons plant but have pets, it’s probably best to keep it in a hanging glass terrarium high up and out of reach. 

Copper Spoons (Kalanchoe orgyalis) needs the following care:

Light ☀️ Full Sun to Partial Shade

Water 💧 Only when soil is completely dry. Do not overwater

Grow 🌱 This is not a cold hardy plant. For best results avoid temperatures below 50 F.