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Gardening should be fun, and sometimes it’s above all the pleasure of discovering the variety that the plant world offers us. Living stones are funky looking plants that look like pebbles that give you the thrill of growing something different and unique.
While much of our gardening activity is about landscapes, food for our families, or toiling through the elements, living rocks allow us to sit back and enjoy nature on a tiny scale that doesn’t involve no physical labor.
Let’s start talking about the coolest little plants you’ll ever see.
Contents
What are living stones?
Living Stones (Lithops spp.) are native to Africa and are sometimes called pebbles. They are small succulents that resemble the stony ground where they traditionally grow.
They survive the harsh African environment thanks to their ability to store water in the twin leaves that make up the top of the plant. These two succulent leaves are fused together with a clear crack dividing them.
Living stones have no stem. The taproot connects directly to the leaves, and the entire plant above the surface is usually a maximum of 1 inch tall. Many varieties grow only low to the soil surface and the rest of the plant is underground.
There are about 37 species and about 145 varieties. They differ in shape, texture and color.
Best Varieties of Living Stones
There are many species of live rock to choose from. Below is a small list of my favorites, but there are so many different varieties; choose the ones you like the most.
Ruschiorum
This species has the look and feel of marble. It camouflages itself really well in its surroundings. It is gray or beige in color with spots on the leaves.
The flowers are bright yellow and this variety can withstand slightly cooler temperatures than other live rocks.
Ruschiorum is sometimes known as the Bushman’s butt due to its appearance.
Aucampiae
It is better not to water the living stones too much, but aucampie can handle it better than most other species.
Aucampie is red or brown with flowers of different shades of yellow. It will grow in clusters of up to 12, but you will usually see clusters of two to five.
The crack is quite wide on aucampie to allow sunlight to penetrate the plant below the surface.
Lesliei
Originally from Botswana, lesliei grows only a few millimeters above the soil surface. They can be red, green or dark brown. The flowers are yellow or white.
Verruculosis
As the name suggests, this is a warty-looking strain, but is actually pretty cool. Growing around an inch high and less than an inch wide, verruculosis is a good choice if you really neglect your potted plants. It will survive even in the poorest environments.
July
The pink-gray leaves have brown markings that can grow a plant or grow with up to 15 other bodies. The coloring allows them to blend into the natural clay environment.
Fulviceps
This species is good if you have a rocky environment and are planting outdoors. It is reasonably cold tolerant compared to some other cultivars.
Terricolor
This gray to green variety can withstand drought even better than many other varieties, making it a good choice for people who forget to water their houseplants. Flowering in the fall, terricolor enjoys water in summer, with a reduction in all other seasons.
Propagation of Living Stones
Living stones grow slowly, so the fastest way to start your collection is to buy them from a vendor. However, many people choose to grow them from seed because it’s the easiest way to get their hands on so many different species.
Seeds
You can buy seeds or remove them from a fertilized plant. Live rocks are self-sterile, so you’ll need to pollinate them by hand or find some outdoors that have been visited by pollinators.
Once the flowers that bloom in the fall have faded, they will turn into seed pods. Just make sure the flower is completely dead before harvesting.
- Cut the pod from the plant body with sharp, precise scissors. It will be closed.
- In their natural environment, rain causes the pod to split open and the raindrops cause a splash large enough to disperse the seeds nearby. Recreate this by allowing a few drops of water to land on the capsule using a dropper. This should open the pod.
- Scrape the seeds from the pod using a toothpick or similar.
- In a container, add cactus soil and spray to moisten.
- Sprinkle a few seeds on the surface, then add a thin layer of cactus mix.
- Keep the soil moist, but you don’t want to see little puddles of water on the surface.
- As the seeds germinate and sprout, water less often.
Like most succulents, live rocks multiply on their own. You can get more individual plants by dividing them manually. Be sure to do this in the spring when the plants are actively growing.
- Fill new containers with cactus soil. Taproots can be up to 15cm long, so choose a suitable container for this.
- Take the live rock cluster out of its container. Separate the plants very carefully, being careful not to damage the roots. The tops separate well. You will need to use a sharp knife or scissors to separate the taproots.
- Inspect the plants to make sure they have a healthy, intact taproot.
- Replant the separated plants in the new containers. Use one per container or add a few.
Live rock grows very slowly, so repotting is infrequent. Make sure the container empties well. Unglazed clay pots are ideal.
How to care for living stones
Due to the reasonably specific requirements for live rocks to thrive, they are best grown indoors on a sunny windowsill. You can grow them outdoors in USDA growing zones 10 through 11. Growing live rock in a greenhouse if you have one is a bonus if you have one.
Use cacti-friendly potting soil. There are good quality ones that you can buy. If you are planting outdoors, aim for a soil pH of around 7.0. The soil should be extremely well drained; sandy or rocky is preferable.
You need to be careful when watering live rocks. Water at the right time of a specific period of annual growth.
Provide water from late spring to early summer. Around mid-summer, the plant goes dormant, so stop watering. If the plant shrivels or looks less worn, give just enough water to pick it up, but no more.
Resume watering in early fall. The crack between the two leaves will begin to open, ready for flowering. In winter until spring, let the soil dry out completely.
Place the living stone container on a sunny windowsill where they will receive at least 5 hours of direct sunlight early in the day.
Fertilize and cut living stones
Don’t fertilize much at all. If you think the plant needs a helping hand, use a low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer no more than once a year.
During the growing season, new leaves appear and old ones shrivel. Remove the dead as needed. New leaves grow through the crack.
Best Companion Plants for Growing Live Rock
Live rocks often look best on their own, but if you feel the need to plant with other things, try:
- Pleiospilos
- Cactus
- Other succulents
Problems and Solutions for Growing Living Stones
Although these plants don’t suffer too often from pests and diseases, there are growing issues to watch out for with live rocks. Remember that overwatering is the most common cause of problems.
The leaves are soft
This is usually caused by overwatering or watering during the dormant period. Live stones will very easily develop root rot. Be sure to keep the soil moist, but not wet.
Also try misting the soil as a watering medium to keep the plant as dry as possible.
Leaves are wrinkled or shriveled
If you don’t give the living rocks enough water during their growth period, the leaves will tell you by shrivelling. They store water in their leaves during the dormant period, so this is a clear sign of an insufficient amount.
discolored leaves
Too little sun normally results in leaf fading or discoloration. This is often accompanied by the elongation of the leaves when they try to tilt towards the sun.
Provide more sun early in the day and consider moving the container if it needs more sunlight.
Slugs and Snails
Live rocks planted outside attract slugs and snails. Use your favorite method to get rid of it. I use slug and snail bait.
spider mites
Spider mites share a love of sunny, warm places, as do living rocks. You may see webbing on the plant and surrounding soil or pitted damaged leaves.
You can use insecticidal soap, but that may be too harsh for live stone. Try a milder homemade solution. Mix a teaspoon of mild liquid soap with a liter of warm water.
Spray the plant, but consider moving it away from other houseplants to prevent mites from relocating there.
Mouse
Mice find live rocks very attractive. If you notice chew marks that are too big to be an insect, it’s probably a mouse. They will enter your home and dine on your lithops, especially during times of excessive heat or dry weather outside.
Set traps and be proactive in keeping mice away from your property.
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