Lithops lesliei
Common name: Leslie's living stone · Living stone
Lithops lesliei is a tiny stemless succulent from the arid plains of South Africa, one of the best-known species in the living stones group. Each plant is a single pair of fused, swollen leaves whose flattened top is mottled grey, green, and rusty brown, camouflaging it perfectly among stones. In autumn it opens a daisy-like yellow or white flower from the fissure between the leaves. It is grown by collectors for its uncanny mimicry and its almost negligible size.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun; needs at least 4–6 hours of direct light daily
Water
Water sparingly in spring and autumn; withhold water entirely in summer dormancy and winter leaf renewal
Soil
Mineral, very gritty cactus mix with sharp drainage and almost no organic matter
Hardiness
Zones 9–11
Mature height
2–5 cm (0.8–2 in)
Pet safe
Non-toxic to cats and dogs per ASPCA listings for Lithops
Difficulty
Fussy
Propagation
By seed; occasionally by division of multi-headed clumps
Fun facts
- The leaf-top patterns mimic the exact pebbles of each local population, so plants from different sites look different.
- The whole plant is just one pair of leaves; each year a new pair grows inside and absorbs the old one.
- It was named by botanist Nicholas Edward Brown in 1922 after the collector Leslie of Warrenton, South Africa.
- In habitat, plants shrink below the soil surface during drought, leaving only the windowed leaf tops exposed to light.