07/22/2025
When I retired a year ago, the last thing I expected was to acquire a new hobby. However, since then, I have become enamored with lithops, weird little succulent plants that are native to the southwest African deserts. They are known as "living stones," and look like little butts or brains depending on the specific species.
They spend much of the summer doing nothing, then produce flowers in the fall. They then split, revealing one or two pairs of new leaves growing inside the old ones. The old leaves eventually shrivel up, and the cycle begins anew.
They are challenging to care for, and must be watered only at the proper times. The splitting phase can last for months, and any water given during this time can kill them. They would not survive a Minnesota climate, so I keep them indoors under lights.
70, male, size 12. In keeping with the theme of this group, I use a spreadsheet to track watering and changes in the growth for the 26 plants I currently have.
