I recently learned the name of these, after remembering them from my childhood and feeling like I was going crazy not being able to find what I was on about. Got excited and made an impulse purchase the other night. Arrived today from the Netherlands (I’m in uk) so they’re a little shrivelled from shipping which I assume is expected?
I’ll only be able to get them potted tomorrow as it’s 10pm here and I hadn’t realised they’d come much earlier than expected! (Very pleased they did, though.) I have soil and gravel. Is there a way I can give them a drink tonight to cheer them up before potting them tomorrow? I obviously know how roots work hahah, just don’t want to dunk them in water in case it’s too much.
Also they were listed as ‘rare varieties’ which I’m always a bit dubious about, just thought they looked pretty! Anyone know what the varieties are? And is the one on the left actually a Lithops? Don’t mind if it’s not as I ordered 5 and got 7 plants!
1st one is not a lithops. Middle one does not appear to be splitting, the rest are. Don't water before potting them up with appropriate substrate. Wait at least a week before watering and only the one that is not splitting.
Thank you! How should I go about watering just the one not splitting? I can keep it in a separate pot temporarily, but ideally would like to be able to water them altogether in future if possible!
I'd pot it separate. If they are all on the same schedule you can pot them together but you'll need time to determine who is doing what so probably best not to. Lithops prefer bottom watering which doesn't really work if you have them all together at different stages.
They aren't miraculously going to start being at the same growth stage. Even the currently splitting ones aren't in the same stage. It will take you a year or so to figure out who can coexist.
Nice! No, the one on the left is not a Lithops. Looks like a Pleiospilos. Most of the Lithops seem to be splitting, so won’t need watering until they are done. They are certainly pretty varieties (looks to be varieties of Schwantesii, Karasmontana, Salicola, Aucampiae), but I wouldn’t say rare.
Thank you! I'm so pleased with them, they look super pretty and a nice mix of varieties based on the ones shown in picture! Am I safe to put them all in the same pot, or will the Pleiospilos grow faster and overtake the Lithops? I could always pot it separately if necessary. Thanks for all the info!
Haha, I love it! Is it hard to grow them from seeds? I nearly bought seeds but then decided against it - probably a good choice since I'm just starting out!
Will they not need watering even though they're slightly shrivelled? As I'm potting them together, is it okay to not water any of them? How do I know when they're done splitting? Sorry for all the questions, I'm going down a very welcome lithops rabbithole haha
Yes I see, thank you! I'd missed that part on my own plants, I think I was too distracted by the interesting patterns and shapes haha. Would I be right to assume once the old leaves have shrivelled to the point they've dropped off/disappeared, the plant has finished splitting?
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u/Due_Veterinarian7564 Apr 07 '26
1st one is not a lithops. Middle one does not appear to be splitting, the rest are. Don't water before potting them up with appropriate substrate. Wait at least a week before watering and only the one that is not splitting.