Lithops bromfieldii
| Light | Very bright light, including several hours of direct sun; the strongest window or a lightly shaded greenhouse spot |
|---|---|
| Water | Very sparingly; water only during active growth in autumn and spring, and keep completely dry while the old leaves are being reabsorbed (see Watering) |
| Soil | Extremely gritty, fast-draining mineral mix with little organic matter (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; happiest in USDA zones 10a–11b, with a cool, dry winter rest |
| Propagation | Seed (primary); occasional division of established clumps |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Lithops bromfieldii is a living stone from South Africa, prized for its warm rusty-red to reddish-brown leaf tops crowded with an intricate network of translucent "windows" and channels. Like all members of the genus it mimics the pebbles among which it grows, and it produces cheerful yellow, daisy-like flowers in autumn. The species is well known to collectors for its several attractive varieties, including the widely grown var. insularis 'Sulphurea, a lime-to-yellow form that has swapped the usual rusty tones for cooler greens.
Description
Lithops bromfieldii is a small, mostly clumping succulent that in time forms tidy mounds of several to many heads. Each head is a pair of fused, fleshy leaves shaped like an inverted cone, with a flattened to slightly convex top that sits close to the soil surface. The tops range from rusty-red and brick to reddish-brown and, in some varieties, olive or yellow-green, and are patterned with a dense, branching network of darker channels and paler islands. Between the two leaves runs a fissure, from which the new growth and the flower emerge.
The upper surface is marked by translucent "windows" that let light down into the buried body of the plant — an adaptation to the plant's habit of growing almost flush with, or below, the surrounding gravel. Flowers appear from the fissure in autumn: bright yellow, many-petalled and daisy-like, opening in the afternoon over a succession of sunny days and often nearly hiding the plant beneath them.
Several varieties are recognised, differing mainly in colour and window pattern. Best known in cultivation is var. insularis, and within it the selected form var. insularis 'Sulphurea, which shows sulphur-yellow to lime-green tops in place of the typical reddish tones.
Distribution and habitat
Lithops bromfieldii is native to the Northern Cape of South Africa, where it grows in arid, rocky country. Plants root among quartz and other stones, contracting into the ground during drought so that only the flat leaf tops show among the surrounding pebbles — the camouflage from which living stones take their name. Rainfall is low and highly seasonal, and the plants endure long dry periods by drawing on the water stored in their swollen leaves.
Understanding this habitat is the key to growing the species well: intense light, sharp drainage, extreme drought tolerance, and a marked seasonal rhythm of growth and rest.
Cultivation
Lithops bromfieldii is grown exactly as for other living stones, and the single most important skill is restraint with the watering can. Plant it in an extremely gritty, mostly mineral mix in a pot deep enough for the long taproot, and give it the brightest position you can — a south-facing window (in the northern hemisphere) or a bright greenhouse. Too little light causes the plant to grow tall and lose its compact, pebble-like form.
Watering must follow the plant's annual cycle rather than the calendar alone. In general, water in autumn (around and after flowering) and again in spring, always letting the soil dry out completely between soakings. Crucially, withhold water in winter and again in summer, and especially while the plant is renewing itself: each year a new pair of leaves forms inside the old pair, which shrivels to a papery sheath and is reabsorbed. Watering during this leaf change is a common way to lose plants. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the usual and most rewarding method. Sow the fine seed on the surface of a gritty mix, keep it lightly humid and warm, and be patient — seedlings are tiny and are grown on quite dry, watered only enough to keep them from shrivelling. Because Lithops cross readily, seed from mixed collections may not come true to a named variety. Established clumps can also be divided, though the genus is grown far more often from seed. See Propagation — seed for a full walkthrough, and Propagation — offsets for dividing clumps.
Cultivars
Beyond the naturally occurring varieties, growers especially seek out the colour-selected var. insularis 'Sulphurea, with its yellow-green tops, as well as forms chosen for particularly bold or contrasting window patterns. As with all Lithops, named selections are best maintained through careful, isolated seed selection. See the Lithops genus page for an overview of the many species and forms in cultivation.
Common problems
- Rot — by far the commonest cause of loss, almost always from watering at the wrong time of year (winter, high summer, or during the leaf change) or from a mix that holds too much moisture. The plant turns soft, translucent and mushy.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the body grow tall and pale and lose its flat, stone-like shape.
- Stacked or multiple leaf pairs — watering during the annual leaf renewal can leave the plant with several generations of leaves at once, spoiling its form and inviting rot.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the fissure or at the roots) and, less often, spider mites and scale.
See also
- Lithops — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting
- Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets