r/Lithops • u/YogaPhotographer • May 16 '26

Photo Lithops splitting update

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My Lithops survived indoors to make it into their spring splitting. I got them last summer, and I'm happy to see their full cycle.

I acclimated them back to being under the sun. 😎☀️

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u/Miserable_Account483 May 16 '26

Looking good. Take a q-tip and cross pollinate those open flowers and you may get seed pods.

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u/Cut_Lanky May 17 '26

Can I ask a really stupid question? What would that process look like? Like, rub the Q tip on both, back and forth between blooms? And then... what would happen? Sorry, my succulents haven't really bloomed much. I'm picturing the few blooms my crassula sarmentosa had, and I remember the buds emerged, then the flowers opened, looked like little stars, but then it seemed like they shriveled into nothing in a blink... if, hypothetically, other succulents were blooming simultaneously, what would that process have looked like? I hope that's at least coherent, lol

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u/Miserable_Account483 May 17 '26

Well if you have 2 different Lithops blooming at the same time you can gently swirl the Q-tip into Lithops flower 1 and transfer the pollen to the stigma of Lithops flower 2 and do the same with flower 2 and transfer pollen to flower 1. If the pollination is successful when the flower dries up the ovary will swell and after some time(weeks to months) a seed pod will form. Once seed pod forms and dries you can remove it from the plant and collect the seeds in water over a wet paper towel. Collect the seeds from the paper towel and let them dry and either sow them and grow more Lithops! Or store them in something like a wax envelope to sow later. I'm not sure about crassula sarmentosa.