Skip to main content

Lithops care: How to plant, water, and tend to your living stone plants

These cute "split rock" plants can be fussy about their water needs, but we promise, they're worth it!

Lithops in a collection of pots
anusart khotpet/Shutterstock

Lithops are known as living stone plants (and are occasionally called “split rocks” or “pebble plants”) due to their quaint, rock-like appearance. They are small, drought-resistant plants that often don’t grow more than an inch above the surface of the soil. Lithops have two thick, padded leaves that resemble both a cleft in a hoof — sometimes earning them the endearing name of “butt plants” — or green to gray stones, depending on the color of the plant. Unlike that pet rock you may have had as a kid, though,  keeping your lithops alive can be quite a complex task. You may know how to water a succulent, but lithops are rather tricky, and their watering schedule will need you to be diligent and observant. But no worries! These oddball cuties are totally worth the fuss, so we’ll show you exactly how to meet your lithops care needs.

Lithops growing in a pot
Aprily/Shutterstock

What are the basic care requirements?

The most important thing for lithops is to make sure you have the right kind of potting material. Remember where lithops come from — aka, the desert — and the type of environment they’re best suited for — aka, well, desert conditions. Potting material that is rich in organic material is great for some plants, but lithops will die if planted in it. Pick something that is sandy, rocky, and drains quickly, like a succulent and cactus potting mix.

SIM ONE/Shutterstock

Make sure your lithops are getting plenty of sun, but don’t let them burn. Lithops are well adapted to bright sunlight, so placing them in a sunny window that gets a lot of direct light is a good move. If you live somewhere hot, they can even be outdoor plants! However, plants can get sunburnt if they’re transitioned into direct light too suddenly.

Recommended Videos

If you’re getting your lithops from a store that kept them out of direct light, or if you aren’t certain about their growing conditions, it’s a good idea to transition them slowly. Start them in indirect or diffused light, perhaps with a sheer curtain or shade cloth between them and the light. Then, slowly move them into more light to give them a chance to adapt.

Lithops close up
TuJardínDesdeCero/Pixabay / Pixabay

How often should you water lithops?

Because they don’t have a stem, a majority of the lithops plant grows underground. This helps the plant retain moisture and means that it doesn’t require constant watering. As with most members of the succulent family, you’ll want to plant your lithops in a pot with good drainage. They’re finicky plants that prefer water during some stages of their yearly growth cycle and dry soil during others. Overwatering is a main cause of lithops (and succulent) death, so it’s worth learning and watching for signs your lithops are giving you in regard to whether they need water or not.

When it comes time to water your lithops, follow the soak-and-dry method that’s used with other types of succulents. Drench the soil when it’s time to water, then wait until the pot fully dries out before watering again. Lithops like being watered most during late spring and through the summer, but they may need the occasional watering during the winter. At the height of the lithops plant’s growth period in warmer months, you’ll likely find yourself watering once every two weeks or so. That’s the general rule of thumb to follow, but always make sure the soil is dry before watering to be sure.

Two blooming lithops
Sorokin Evgenii/Shutterstock

How do you know when lithops need water?

When in doubt, it’s best not to water. When the plant is ready to be watered, you may see it begin to wrinkle or sink down in the pot. Give your plant a light squeeze. If it’s soft, it’s time to water.

The height of the lithops growing cycle is when the weather is warm. Your plant will enter dormancy during this period, at which time you’ll need to start watering less frequently. You’ll occasionally want to give the plant a little drink if it starts to shrivel. At that point, water so that the top half inch of soil is moist. Otherwise, respect your plant’s space and let it take care of itself. Remember that this plant is good at retaining moisture, so it’s rather self-sufficient when it isn’t actively growing.

Lithops growing in a heart shaped pot
PATIPAT / Shutterstock

At the end of summer, your lithops will start another growth period, at which time you’ll resume watering once every two weeks (at most). This is when your lithops will begin to bloom if they’re mature enough, generally three or four years old. You’ll know it’s time to start watering again when you see the leaves begin to separate. This is your lithops preparing for flowering. Once winter hits, you’ll go back to respecting your lithops’ dormancy — only this time, you’ll stop watering altogether.

Around wintertime is when the old leaves of your lithops will start to die and the new ones will begin to grow inside. Watering the plant during this period could negatively affect the growth of the new leaves, so do your best to let your lithops sustain themselves. It will feel wrong, especially considering the type of care given to other plants, but your lithops will thank you for it.

manseok_Kim/Pixabay / Pixabay

Can lithops get too much sun?

Lithops are adapted in their natural habitat to tolerate harsh sunlight. The best lighting you can provide your plant is four to five hours of early morning light and then partial shade. South- and east-facing windows are ideal places for growing lithops. You’ll know when your lithops aren’t receiving optimal sunlight when they start to lose their patterns and the leaves become elongated. Remember that extreme heat can still cause your lithops to get sunburnt. If this starts to happen, try moving the plant to a slightly less sunny area to see how it fares.

Lithops in container
AKuptsova/Pixabay / Pixabay

Do you need to fertilize lithops?

As hard as they can be in every other aspect of care, lithops actually don’t need a lot of help with fertilizer. In fact, they should do just fine in a soil-based growing medium without any extra help. While they aren’t heavy feeders, you can give them one application of a liquid all-purpose fertilizer during the growing season. To encourage flowering, you might also want to look for a high-potassium and low-nitrogen plant food — think, a 5-10-10 formula. Whichever plant food you end up choosing, do not get the fertilizer onto the leaves, as this may burn your plant.

Succulents as a whole are different from the standard houseplants we know and love, and lithops are an especially finicky variety. It may take a few tries to figure out the proper care, so don’t be too discouraged if you lose a lithops or two. Some trial and error may be necessary, but you’ll soon figure out how to properly care for your living stone plant.

Kiera Baron
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kiera Baron is a freelance writer and editor, as well as a budding digital artist, based in Upstate NY. She is currently one…
Croton plant care guide: Grow this colorful beauty with ease
Growing your own colorful croton plant
Colorful croton plant

When it comes to bringing vibrant colors into your home, colorful houseplants are an excellent option. There are many fantastic choices, with flowers and foliage plants that come in a wide array of colors. Crotons are one of the most popular plants for this, as their mottled leaves are colorful and unique, with a lovely tie-die-like pattern.

If you want to add a gorgeous croton plant to your indoor garden, then you’re in luck! We’ll explain everything you need to know about growing and caring for these stunning plants in this guide to croton plant care guide.
Planting crotons

Read more
How to propagate an anthurium for vibrant blooms
Here are three different anthurium propagation methods to get started
An anthurium in a pot

Anthurium plants, or flamingo flowers, are some of the most stunning houseplants that you’ll come across. A beautiful fixture in any home, they feature waxy, heart-shaped leaves and bold, glossy flowers. While anthurium plants are fairly easy to find in nurseries and online, there are other ways to get them. If you or someone you know already has an anthurium plant, you can propagate it to create new anthurium plants. Want to try it for yourself? Here's everything you need to know about how to propagate anthurium plants.
Method #1: How to propagate an anthurium by cuttings

Can you grow an anthurium from a cutting?
Long story short, yes. Growing an anthurium with a cutting isn't the most common way to propagate it, but it is possible. You can start a new anthurium with a cutting, but it has to be a specific kind of cutting — you want a stem cutting, not a leaf cutting.

Read more
Desert rose care guide: How to grow this stunning succulent
Keeping your desert rose happy indoors
Dark pink desert rose flowers

Desert roses are gorgeous succulents with lovely pink flowers, so it’s no wonder gardeners want to add them to their collections. Luckily, this plant is also easy to grow. It can become a part of an outdoor succulent garden, but did you know your desert rose also makes a great indoor plant? If you want to add a desert rose to your indoor succulent garden, or want to start your succulent collection off with one, then this is the guide for you. We’ll explain everything you need to know in order to keep your desert rose happy and healthy indoors.
Can you grow desert rose plants indoors?

Desert rose succulents are well suited to growing indoors, and they actually grow better indoors than out in most parts of the U.S. These cold-sensitive plants are only hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11, so keeping them indoors is actually the best way to grow them. Like most other succulents, start off with a container that has plenty of drainage holes. Desert rose plants cannot tolerate soggy soil, so both the container and the soil mix need to allow excess water to drain freely. A succulent or cactus-specific soil mix is perfect for your desert rose.

Read more