Lithops are rare, exotic succulents from South Africa. They're slow growing, and accustomed to full sun, rocky soil, and droughts that last several months. Only the very tops of the leaves are visible aboveground and even these are well-camouflaged in a variety of colors and patterns to blend in with the surrounding geology. With the right amount of care (very little water and plenty light), they thrive and split yearly into bigger plants. They only have one pair of leaves and as the new leaves come out, the old leaves are reabsorbed.
They have deep taproots and need very little water and a well-draining soil in order to prevent their fleshy leaves from exploding.
Lithops are non-toxic, pet friendly
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY GROWING LITHOPS:
1. Use a pot with a drainage hole. Try to pick one that’s narrow but 4" or deeper, so there’s room for a deep taproot, but where the container won’t store a large volume of water.
2. Plant only 1 Lithops per pot. Combining multiple plants (or even multiple Lithops) can make it challenging to water the pot at the right times.
3. Use a very gritty soil. You want something that drains and dries quickly.
4. Grow in bright sun. Place the pot in full sun outdoors or on a very sunny window sill and rotate it regularly.
5. When in doubt, don’t water. Lithops only need a couple waterings each year! Water lightly in the fall and spring growing seasons, waiting for deep wrinkling before watering again.
- Begin spring watering only when the older, outer leaves have shriveled into paper-thin sheets
- Water very sparingly in summer ONLY if you notice severe wrinkling on the top; wrinkles on sides are a normal part of their annual cycle and not an indicator that they should be watered
- Do not water in winter when they are dormant OR when a Lithops is splitting