Lithops | Grow and Care Guide

Lithops are those succulents that look like rocks or even pebbles, they are very unique and beautiful. Every single day lithops are getting more and more popular, because succulent lovers are seeing them on social media, or at their local nursery.

Lithops is a genus of succulents known in the ice plant family, they are native to Southern Africa. As lithops get more and more popular every single day, more succulent lovers are wondering how to grow and care for them.

Surprisingly, lithops are super easy to care for and grow once you get it down! It does take some time and some easy steps, but once you figure it out you will be amazing at it! Lithops do take a while to grow. They are slow growing plants, so you’ll need some patience!

By the end of this article, you will know exactly how to grow and care for this unique succulent called lithops.

Let’s start!

What Are Lithops

Lithops are very slow growing succulents that don’t grow that large. They are also known as pebble plants and have unique leaves that just look like a rock or stone. Lithops are very rare and unique succulents, they are also very hard to find. If you do own lithops then this is definitely the most perfect article for you so you can grow these succulents healthy and happy. Lithops are very easy to grow and care for, just a few things you will need to do in order to do so.

Lithops Care

Temperature

Lithops can take warm and hot temperatures, they are used to it because they are desert succulents. They grow best in temperatures such as 60-80 degrees, but can tolerate temperatures such as 90-100 degrees. Lithops are not cold hardy succulents, and will die in freezing temperatures. It’s best to grow and move them indoors during the cold winter season if your location gets under 30 degrees. 

Light

Again, lithops can tolerate warm and hot temperatures, they can also tolerate an extreme amount of harsh sunlight. It’s best to give them 4-6 hours of sunlight every single day, also some partial shade is great for them. When growing indoors make sure they are growing near a window that will give them that amount of sunlight every single day.

Yes, lithops can handle warm and hot temperatures and also harsh sunlight, but they can still get sun damaged. Too much hot sun will give these succulents a sunburn, burning their leaves and possibly affecting their health. This is why it’s very important to give them some partial shade as well so they can take a break from the sun.

Soil for Lithops

This soil is the most perfect soil for the Lithops. This succulent soil has 2 of the fastest draining ingredients out there sand and perlite. Sand and perlite will protect your Lithops from root rot. Root rot is known as the #1 most common reason why a succulent will die and it happens a lot.

This soil will help your Lithops grow healthy, happy, and of course protect it from root rot which is much needed. This soil is also loaded with 60+ minerals and nutrients from seaweed fertilizer. Your Lithops will grow bigger, faster, and stronger in this soil because it will be absorbing many nutrients from the seaweed in the soil. 

This is amazing soil for your Lithops and you should definitely consider it when growing this succulent. Your Lithops will just simply love it and will grow super healthy, faster, bigger, and happier when grown in this soil.

Watering

It’s best to water your lithops every 2 weeks at the very most. Lithops don’t need much water, they store so much water in their leaves for months already. Also make sure to not water this succulent during its growth cycle, if you do then you may harm the succulent. During the winter you shouldn’t really water lithops. During the winter it’s cold and watering them isn’t the best idea. 

Propagation For Lithops

You can propagate lithops from existing plants or seeds. Propagating from seeds is most common due to lithops being slow growers. It can take years for new plants to form from existing plant propagation. 

To propagate from seeds you will just need to plant the seeds in a seeds planting tray. Then you will have to water those seeds and grow them under grow lights or in real sunlight. It’s best to keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. As times goes by you will start to see sprouts and that means you will have new lithops coming very shortly.

Common Growing Problems

Overwatering: Lithops sometimes get overwatered very easily due to the fact that people think they need a lot of water. Since the soil gets very dry they think they need water but they don’t know that lithops soak up water in their leaves. 

When lithops get overwatered they will most likely experience root rot. If your lithops have root rot then they will look very mushy, pale, and just unhealthy. If you see these signs it’s very important that you take action and fix your lithops right away. You will have to cut back on watering and maybe unpot your lithops. Once you unpot them you will have to let them sit out for 2-4 days or until the roots get dry. 

Pests: Also when you overwater lithops you may attract succulent pests such as mealybugs. Mealybugs love wet soil and they will appear if the soil is wet. It’s not just mealybugs though. Other succulent pests such as aphids, gnats, or ants will also be attracted and attack your lithops. You will just need to make sure to keep the growing area clean and cut back on watering to prevent succulent pests.

Etiolation: If your lithops don’t get enough sunlight then they will begin the process of etioaltion. Etiolation occurs when a succulent just doesn’t get enough sunlight so it will begin to stretch or grow tall to find any source of light. Sadly you can’t fix etiolation and it is permanent. However, you can prevent it by just giving your lithops enough sunlight so they don’t begin to stretch or grow tall.

Are Lithops Toxic?

Lithops are non-toxic to humans and animals which is a good thing! There’s evidence that you can eat lithops if you were in the wild and were very dehydrated! They will hydrate you since they have water stored up in their leaves. 

That’s it! 

You now know all about lithops and how to grow and care for them! They are wonderful and very unique succulent plants that every succulent liver should grow! They are very rare so best of luck finding and growing them!

Thank You!

Thank you for visiting our website and reading our article. We hope we brought value, and great information to you today. Our goal is to help fellow succulent lovers like you! Any questions or if you’d like more tips email us or comment below! 

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Ramsey Succulents,

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