How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lithops (Living Stone Plants)

Lithops, more commonly called living stones or pebble plants, are unusual rock-like succulents. They are one of the easiest plants to care for once you understand their native environments. 

Have you ever browsed the succulent section and discovered a pot with nothing more than a pair of rocks in it? If so, you may have discovered lithops, a unique African succulent genus.

Sometimes called living stones or pebble plants, lithops are extremely drought-resistant and are widely popular in water-wise gardens. They can be grown both indoors and outdoors with the right light, but outdoor growers should be careful that they don’t get too much water.

The term lithops is both singular and plural, so don’t go searching for a lithop. This plant is quirky and fun, something different to mix into your succulent garden!

What is Lithops?

Lithops are fascinating little succulents. Commonly known as living stones, they are very sensitive to the extreme seasons of the year. Many species flower in the fall, which brings a great burst of color amidst all the oranges and reds of the season.

When you look at lithops plants, only a pair of fleshy succulent leaves with a crevice between them are visible. The majority of the plant is beneath the soil surface.

These succulents have window-like cells on the leaf surfaces that allow light deep into the plant to aid photosynthesis. The main taproot is the most important for the plant’s survival. But a series of finer roots also help draw in extra nutrition when needed.

Lithops succulents flower in late autumn or early winter, although some species flower in the spring or early summer. A single flower is pushed up from the crevice between the pair of leaves. Only plants older than three years (and sometimes five years) will produce flowers. v

The lithops flower is daisy-like in appearance. Depending on the species, it can be anywhere from a half-inch to an inch and a half in diameter. It can be orange, white, or pale yellow. Some have a scent that is described as spicy-sweet. These flowers will open in the early afternoon to soak in sunlight and allow for pollination. They close in the late afternoon before dusk. As lithops are not self-pollinating, they are reliant on insect pollinators or humans to produce seed.

Lithops Care

For the most part, growing lithops is a very hands-off process. They handle themselves quite well! But there are a few things about how to care for a lithops plant that you’ll need to know.

Light

In its natural environment, lithops is a full-sun plant. Flowering stones require enough sunlight to produce their colorful stone-like display. However, four to five hours of direct sunlight per day should be enough to keep your plant happy.

In coastal regions or where the temperatures are cooler, you may be able to leave it in direct sun all day long. Those who live in desert conditions or areas where it reaches excessive heat should place their plants in indirect light or afternoon shade.

Indoors, ensure it gets enough direct sunlight every day and that you regularly rotate your plant. Etiolation, an elongation or warping of the leaves, can happen if your plant isn’t getting enough sun. Color loss can also become problematic if your plant gets too little direct sunlight.

If your plant is indoors and in lower-light conditions over the winter months, slowly re-adapt your lithops to longer periods of light in the spring by gradually increasing its full sun exposure. This will prevent scarring or sunburn on the leaves. Plants in warm climates or regions where it doesn’t drop below 50°F (10°C) can remain outdoors all winter long and will not need gradual exposure.

Temperature

The South African regions like Namibia (the natural habitat of lithops) rarely experience frost. This means that the plant has never adapted to colder temperatures. It really, really doesn’t like the cold.

Prevent exposure to frost or freezes. The cell walls in the thick leaves will rupture if it’s too cold. This will cause your plant to rot and die. Ideally, don’t allow your lithops to remain in conditions below 50°F (10°C), and never leave it outside below 40°F (4°C).

While the optimal temperatures for lithops are between 65°F and 80°F (18-27°C), these desert plants can tolerate intense heat and temperatures up into the 90s and 100s for short periods (32°C and up). However, they should be exposed to morning sun and afternoon shade in these conditions.

Water

The most difficult part of lithops care is watering. The plant is from an area of extreme drought. Less than an inch of water in a year is not unknown in its natural environment. The plant has adjusted to a life of water conservation in arid regions.

Almost the entire plant is devoted to storing water to sustain itself. Those fleshy, rock-like leaves are basically water tanks for the plant’s survival! Because of this, you need to water according to the time of year.

Spring and fall are the plant’s normal growing seasons and when it’s most likely to need water. During those seasons, limit your watering to once every ten days or less. Do not water unless the soil has completely dried out to four or five inches below the surface.

If your plant seems happy without water during the spring and fall, don’t water it. Chances are that it’s getting enough moisture from the humidity in the air. Many species of lithops draw the majority of their moisture from dew or humid air.

Rain exposure should be greatly limited, even in well-drained soil. As I mentioned, these plants are not accustomed to having much water, and too much will cause decay in the plant!

During the summertime, living stones go dormant during the summer heat. Only water them if the plant is becoming wrinkled. Water in the early morning, and give only a tiny bit of water to the area where your lithops grow.

Avoid watering during the winter entirely. Your plant will be in semi-dormancy, although sometimes a flower may linger into the early part of the winter months.

Soil

A well-draining, grit-rich cactus mix is ideal for most lithops plants. Their natural habitats range from sand to decomposed granite and rarely hold on to much water.

Don’t have access to a cactus mix? Don’t panic. Make your own by mixing 50% potting soil or compost with 50% grit material. Good options include pumice or lava rock, sand, decomposed granite, perlite, or other gritty materials.

Soils that hold too much moisture can cause root rot or spur the development of pest problems. Since their natural environment is quite harsh, they tolerate poor soil better than rich soils.

Fertilizer

As a general rule, fertilizing your lithops isn’t needed. These plants get almost no fertilizer in their natural habitats, like most other succulents.

However, some people do offer their living stone plant a little burst of fertilizer just prior to its normal blooming season to encourage flowering. If you opt to do that, use a heavily-diluted cactus fertilizer with a low-nitrogen, high-potassium formulation.

Just like watering, you want to fertilize sparingly, if at all. Avoid foliar fertilization, as it can cause sunburn on the leaves.

Repotting

Unless you’re dividing your plant, you may find that repotting is rare. Lithops can live for 40 to 50 years, and it’s not uncommon for someone to have their plant in the same pot for 10-20 years!

The most common reason to repot is to divide the plant if your plants start to take over the entire pot. Otherwise, you may want to place their lithops in a larger pot to develop a larger colony of plants.

Regardless of why you’re repotting, you will need a pot deep enough to handle the long taproot. A minimum of three inches is required, but five inches or even slightly deeper is better. This allows the taproot to grow without coiling around the pot.

Prepare a well-draining cactus potting soil, and plant your living stone plant with its leaf tops slightly above the soil’s surface. About a half-inch above the soil is fine. Be cautious with the root structure, as the taproot is essential to your plant’s survival.

Once repotted, you can place gravel or rocks around the soil surface to simulate the natural environment. Avoid transplanting it for at least another three to four years. If it was a division, wait even longer.

Pruning

Living stones or split rocks don’t need pruning. Since only two leaves are visible above the soil level, the plant will take care of itself.

At the most, you may rarely have to remove the papery remnants of older leaves of split rocks once the plants start to reabsorb all of their moisture and nutrients. Even then, the new leaves will spring up from the older ones, and the older leaves will slough off on their own.

Propagation

Most people propagate lithops from seed. To do this, you simply prepare a pot of soil as described above, carefully sprinkle your lithops seed over the surface, and cover it with a fine layer of sand. Keep the sand lightly moist until germination occurs, and gradually reduce watering for your baby seedlings.

These plants can also be propagated by division of a parent plant. If you have a cluster of plants, you can carefully remove it from its pot, gently dusting off the soil around the roots. Examine the root and leaves to decide where to cut, then use a sterile razor blade to neatly remove the leaf pair with a good amount of taproot still attached.

Including any of the other finer feeder roots is less essential, as these will quickly regrow. But your lithops leaf pair will require some of the taproot to survive. Once separated, repot as directed.