Lithops Plant Care Guide: How to Grow Living Stones

Lithops is the genus name for a group of succulent plants that look like pebbles. These South Africa native plants, commonly called living stones and pebble plants, belong to the ice plant family Aizoaceae. Lithops plants consist of two bulbous fused leaves with a slit in the middle and produce leaves in the spring and yellow or white daisy-like flowers in the late summer and autumn.

At first glance, Lithops look like flowering stones. There are at least 37 species and more than 145 varieties of Lithops, which all have a similar shape but feature various color combinations of gray, brown, rust, green, and pink. These plants also have markings such as curved lines and dots, which give certain Lithops the appearance of two hemispheres of a brain.

Lithops and split rocks succulents (Pleiospilos nelii) are both southern African plants that are often confused with one another, but there are two key differences. First, split rocks can grow up to five inches, while lithops are tiny plants that grow only about an inch tall. Second, split rocks are usually egg-shaped and feature two gray-green leaves. Split rocks and lithops both have a divided center, but new leaves on split rocks grow at right angles to the split.

Lithops can grow from seeds or through propagation, but they’re slow growers and take months to germinate and years to flower. Follow these steps to grow lithops seeds:

1. 1. Prepare a pot of soil with a cactus mix and potting mix. The soil should be airy, light, and well-draining. You can also add some pebbles to help with drainage.
2. 2. Sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Cover the soil surface with a fine layer of perlite, and keep this layer moist using a mister. Remember that germination will take months, and growing flowers will take years.
3. 3. Divide the lithops sprouts. When the plants start to sprout, divide the plants into separate pots. Lithops have a long taproot, so choose a pot that’s at least four inches deep. Reduce watering to every two weeks.
4. 4. Add pebbles. You can surround the lithops with colorful aquarium gravel or naturally colored gravel to create a bright display.

Lithops have a very particular growing season. The plants go into dormancy in the winter, old leaves wither and regrow in the spring, then the plants go into a second dormant period during the summer before flowering in the fall. Here’s how to care for the plants through their different growth cycle stages:

• Lithops need bright light. Too much direct sunlight, though, can burn the plants. Ensure the plants get four to five hours of direct sunlight and partial shade the rest of the time. A southern or eastern-facing window is a good place for the plants. You can tell if your plant is not getting enough sunlight if the leaves start to lose patterns and become elongated in shape.
• Overwinter your lithops plants. Lithops are mostly grown as houseplants but can also be grown outside. If you live in a place where temperatures get below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, move the lithops indoors during the winter.
• Water lithops plants sparingly. These succulents store water for months in their leaves and only need to be watered every two weeks or when the soil is thoroughly dry. When the plant goes dormant in the summer and winter months, you don’t need to water them. Overwatering will cause the plant to become soft and puffy.
• Propagate your lithops plant. Lithops can be easily grown through division propagation, which creates a clone of the parent plant. Lithops often grow offshoots, called pups, that look like new leaves. To propagate, dig up the plant entirely and dust off the roots. Then, cut the pups away from their parents, making sure to include some roots as well, and repot the pups in separate pots.

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