| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
Lithops are small, highly specialised succulents native to the arid regions of southern Africa, particularly South Africa and Namibia. Often referred to as living stones, these plants closely resemble the pebbles and rocks of their natural habitat, allowing them to avoid detection by herbivores.
Each plant consists of a pair of thick, fleshy leaves fused together, with only the top surface exposed above the soil. These leaf tops are often patterned with intricate markings, colours, and translucent windows that allow light to penetrate for photosynthesis. During their growing season, typically in autumn, Lithops produce daisy-like flowers in shades of white or yellow that emerge from the central fissure between the leaves.
Lithops are a remarkable example of adaptation to extreme environments. Their compact form and ability to store water enable them to survive long dry periods, while their camouflage helps protect them from being eaten. Each year, the plant replaces its old leaf pair with a new one, drawing moisture and nutrients from the previous leaves as they shrivel away.
Growing Lithops requires careful attention to their natural cycle. They need full sun, excellent drainage, and a very gritty, mineral-based soil mix. Watering must be minimal and timed correctlygenerally during their active growth period and withheld during dormancy and leaf replacement. Overwatering is the most common cause of failure. They prefer warm conditions and should be protected from frost and excessive humidity. With the right care, Lithops are long-lived and fascinating plants that reward patience with unique forms and seasonal blooms.
Sow seeds onto sterilized media (sterilize in microwave for 5 minutes). Choose an appropriate media, there are plenty of recipes online for mixing your own. Lithops are extremely prone to damping off when young and thus using a sterile media should ensure that the fungal/bacterial diseases, that can kill the seedlings, are entirely absent. Generally, hobbyists use 7.5cm or 10cm square pots to sow seeds and keep them for at least their first year. Seeds need to be kept moist for at least the first month from sowing. Germination occurs from day 5 to around day 20. Varies based on species and the temperature it is kept at
Growing lithops from seeds is not easy, however the initial germination of the seeds is fast and simple
