Kalanchoe bracteata, known as silver teaspoons or silver spoons, is a slow-growing succulent shrub from Madagascar with a character defined almost entirely by its leaves. They are ovate to lanceolate in shape, one to two inches long, and covered so densely in silvery-white pubescence and waxy coating that the whole plant glows with a pale, felted light. The four-angled white stems are moderately woody, and the plant takes on a mounding, erect habit that eventually reaches two to four feet in both height and spread. The specific epithet bracteata refers to the plant's floral bracts, though it is the foliage, not the flowers, that earns the most attention.

Red flowers appear in summer on branched terminal cymes, adding a vivid contrast to the silver leaves that is understated during the rest of the year. In cultivation, silver teaspoons asks for bright indirect light with some protection from hot afternoon sun, well-drained soil high in organic matter, and restrained watering — the soil should dry between waterings, and during the plant's winter dormancy it should be watered even less. In zones 9 to 11 it works well as an accent plant or in a rock garden; in colder climates its silvery foliage adds welcome contrast in a houseplant collection. Propagate by stem cuttings, and handle with gloves as the plant is toxic to humans and pets.