Copper Spoon

Copper Spoon Care

Kalanchoe orgyalis Baker

Other names: Copper Spoons, Cinnamon Bear, Leather Plant, Shoe Leather Kalanchoe, Kalanchoe Antanosiana, Kalanchoe Cantonasyana

What is the plant

Copper Spoon is the type of plant that you can absolutely forget about and be rewarded with the most glamorous double-colored leaves in return. This little buddy is a succulent, so if you are looking for a very low-maintenance plant, you have already found your winner. When put in the garden, this plant brings a nice contrast with the rest of its plant companions due to its coloring.

You will find Kalanchoe orgyalis growing on dry soil and rocks in Madagascar, where it was originally found, but many gardeners and amateurs have made a friend of this earthy plant. It can grow up to 3-6 ft. tall (91-180 cm). The oval leaves of the plant are double colored, with silver shades underneath and coppery upper sides, hence its name.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

10°C - 16°C

Hardiness zone

min 9b

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Succulents can get more damage from overwatering than from underwatering. Try not to water it more than once every two weeks in the hot season and once a month in the cold months. It is best if you use a watering tray, so the plant can take as much as it needs from below. This way, you can also make sure you don’t get the leaves watery, as it can wash away their velvety texture.
Pruning
This plant needs little to no pruning, except after its flowers start to fade. Cut the flowers completely and allow the plant to rest. New ones will soon bloom next spring.
Fertilizer
You can fertilize the plant once a month in the spring-summer months with a fertilizer that contains calcium, magnesium, and iron. Any light houseplant fertilizer should have these nutrients. Use half the dilution rate recommended on the tag. In the colder months, the plants go dormant.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

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Sunlight
Kalanchoe orgyalis love being in the light, and you will be able to see this on the leaves. The sunnier the spot, the richer the Copper color. If you put the plant in indirect light, the shade of brown will be much lighter. It is a good trick to rotate the plant every few days, so it gets a rich, evenly distributed color.
Soil
Copper spoon needs light mixed soil. Make sure you add perlite and sand to the mix, and add some pebbles to the bottom of the pot to ensure good drainage. Use soil that has a pH of 6.0-6.5 to maintain the right amount of zinc and phosphorus for the plant.
Propagation
Succulents are slow-growers, so propagation can be forced if you keep the plant in a smaller container, so it produces baby plants in survival mode. Taking these new grown plants can be enough for propagation, but you can also choose to propagate your Copper Spoon with cuttings, but this process is a little slower.

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Temperature
Copper Spoons grow best at temperatures between 64 and 68 °F (18-20 °C). If placed in temperatures lower than 40 °F (4 °C), the plant dies in a few hours. Keep it away from humid spaces, as the plant prefers more dry air.
Container
You can use any container that you find pretty enough for the plant, just make sure the soil drains properly in the pot, otherwise, you might provoke root rot. If you know you just can’t help yourself with watering the plant too often, a terracotta container might be a good decision, as it drains the soil faster.
Fun fact
It has flowers! Although the succulent can come off as a leaf-show type of plant, they also bloom, usually in the spring. Copper Spoon puts on a show of bright yellow flower beads if you are patient enough.