Wisconsin's Tropical Gardens

LITHOPS - Living Stones

Lithops are plants camouflaged as stones, a protective mechanism that keep them safe from droughts and hungry animals. This process of evolution, know as cryptic mimicry has taken place through eons of adaptation. Lithops can also pull themselves down into the sand to prevent being dried to a crisp by African winds and sun.

These strange little stones use translucent windows at the top of the plant to trap and channel sunlight to photosynthetic cells deep inside the plant, allowing it to thrive and grow without having the common leaf structure as we know it.

The plant itself has the look of two flattened stones side by side, mirroring each other. Some rather humorous individuals have dubbed them butt-rocks due to this paired appearance.

Lithops go through a dormant period during the summer requiring virtually no water until it's growth period starts in early fall. At this time flowering will occur. Shortly thereafter new leaves will push out from between the old leaves until the old ones are completely wilted away.

Growth will continue until summer when growth stops and the cycle has completed.

LIGHT: Provide a bright location. A sunny south window is ideal.

WATER: Water sparingly during the summer. Water slightly more in the fall when growth is occuring.

This plant is seasonally available in 2" or 4" pots.