Living Stone Plant - Lithops - 3" POT - Strange Plant

by Hirts: Cacti & Succulents

Product Features

• Lithops, (commonly called "flowering stones" or "living stones")
• The plants blend in among the stones as a means of protection
• In the wild, Lithops inhabit vast dry regions of southern Africa
• Prefers sun, Water when dry
• The plant you will receive is growing in a 3" pot

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000P3AJB2
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,131 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)
  • #24 in Patio, Lawn & Garden > Plants & Planting > Plants, Seeds & Bulbs > Cacti & Succulents

Product Description

Lithops,(commonly called "flowering stones" or "living stones") are true mimicry plants: their shape, size and color causes them to resemble small stones in their natural surroundings. The plants blend in among the stones as a means of protection. Grazing animals which would otherwise eat them during periods of drought to obtain moisture usually overlook them. Even experts in the field sometimes have difficulty locating plants for study because of this unusual deceptive camouflage.

In the wild, Lithops inhabit vast dry regions of southern Africa. Several areas in which these plants grow receive less than 2 inches of rainfall per month throughout the entire year. In an extreme situation of low rainfall, at least one species of Lithops depends on mist or fog to provide its main source of moisture . Lithops could not survive in many areas that they are found were it not for their capacity to store water. In fact, almost the entire plant is devoted to this function. The "body" of the plant is divided into two succulent leaves fused together in the shape of an inverted cone. The fissure or slit at the top of the plant is the division of the two leaves. There is no stem as such, but rather the taproot joins abruptly at the base of the leaves. The structure of the plant reveals to the imagination the harsh environment in which Lithops live: the scarcity of water demands that young plants limited to only two leaves and a root system, as more extravagant growth would only serve to waste water. The leaves are thick to store enough water for the plants to survive for months without rain. The plants are small and keep a low profile to minimize the effect of the intense heat and light of their climate.
Lithops do well if they receive about 4 or 5 hours of direct (or only slightly filtered) sunlight during the early part of the day, and partial shade during the afternoon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT!, December 14, 2009

By 

Justin Lawrence "dragon eyes" (Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Living Stone Plant - Lithops - 3" POT - Strange Plant

I have been fascinated by these desert plants for a couple years now and finally found the creativity to set up a nice indoor planter with a half dozen or so in it.
I ordered these sometime in October, and the temp in the Northeast was unseasonably cold. The delivery driver luckily put the package in my truck instead of leaving it on the porch. And still after this close call i was lazy and left them sitting, bare-rooted, on my dining room table for several days before planting. These plants are much more cold-hardy than i would have thought, and have thrived in the months since transplanting.
The planting tips say to water sparingly and they are not kidding, once a month may even be too much in the winter. When they start to get shriveled, it's almost time to water.
Please check out the photo i've uploaded.
I will be buying more of these in the spring or summer, they make EXCELLENT gifts.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Arrived damaged, didn't survive.., June 15, 2011

By 

Mswalleye (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Living Stone Plant - Lithops - 3" POT - Strange Plant

Bought several cactus as a gift, two of them arrived damaged but I was not told this by the receiver for a period of time so didn't get back to the seller otherwise I would have. I don't think I would order plants through the mail again, at least not from the seller (wasn't Amazon) but was through Amazon. Also, they give you information about the plants so you kind of know what you are buying and the history of the plant, which I thought was quite interesting, it would have been nice if there had been a bit of information supplied in the mailing that told you about the plant and how to care for it - especially when it was being sent as a gift. Nothing, just disheveled plants, nothing to show plant names, how to care for ... I think a small info write up on each plant would have been nice since it was a gift.

5.0 out of 5 stars Living stones, January 13, 2010

By 

Rachel (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Living Stone Plant - Lithops - 3" POT - Strange Plant

This is the cools't lil cactus plant I've seen As soon as i saw this i had to get it. With out the flower in it they look like little butts tee hee! XD but i very much enjoy it. i cant wait till it grows more of them and flower bloom on it :))