Indeed they usually grow leaves in pairs. Love the colour of your Lithops, looks almost unreal. I tried Lithops once, not knowing that just watering once at the wrong time would turn it into jelly.

Christopher

Those are looking good, Rina! Yes, the 3-leafed Lithops is odd, uncommon but not unheard of. I've had it happen on a seedling which reverted to normal with the next shed. I've also had an Argyroderma maintain 3 leaves. I've never had an adult Lithops do it but I've seen photos. That should be very interesting when it finally emerges, keep us updated!

Thank you Christopher, I am trying very hard not to ...

Ryan, that's encouraging. Not sure when it is an adult? - I bought these in May-June 2012, one was flowering at that time. This is second shedding since then, exactly year ago
(photo).
Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Wed, Feb 12, 14 at 0:09

They are interesting for sure. Pretty colors.

Neysa in California

Rina, great job keeping them going for 2 full cycles! In general, Lithops plants purchased at any retail nuresery will be adult plants. They may be freshly adult but have at least reached the size to fill a 2" pot. If you order plants online, depending on who you order from and what the arrangement is, Lithops may still be juvenile, (roughly 3/8-1/2")

Good to hear Ryan...I am very happy that they are still alive in my care. Hope to post photos again in a year.
Rina

I envy anyone who can keep lithops alive! I'm going to throw my guess in the ring: I bet there are FOUR leaves in there, and you just can't see the last one yet. I think it divided, and the partner to that third leaf is still hiding. :)

Nice!

Look forward to updates on this, Rina! Very cool!

Few weeks later, and there are still three - growing good so far.
(excuse not-so-good BlackBerry photo...)
Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 12:25

And the other one has new leaves finally too.

Rina

How cute! That's a fun little anomaly you've got there ... I wonder what's going to happen the NEXT time it sheds its outer leaves? Will each one split?!

Danielle, I wonder about that too. My first lithops ever, I am very happy they are still alive!
Rina

Checked mine (in outdoor planter) when you posted this & there was no difference. Today, I see new leaves in the middle on the left one. The one on the right still has its' dead flower thing, hasn't changed for months.

purple, they are healthy looking, they take it very slowly don't they?

I just took pics of mine and looks like there is another leaf hiding there?
See inside of circled area...Rina

Are you able to tell if that's a leaf yet?

I think both of these are making 4 new leaves. (Covered with pollen, like everything around here at the moment.)

It taking it's time...but here it is today; 2 new "sprouts" (what do you call them?) - one has 3 leaves/tops, smaller one looks like 2:

Rina

from other side:

This post was edited by rina_ on Thu, May 15, 14 at 23:07

Okay, that's just crazy looking.

Planto

I have never seen one do this! Wow!
So beautiful! To me it's like the worlds slowest birth. lol..

JoJo

So crazy! What a funny mutation! Now ... should we take bets to see what's going to happen NEXT year? Three new leaves? Will any divide?

Here's a side view of my lithop that is getting wrinkly recently any idea why?

Any ways mine have looked like this for years, it looks like one is growing outta another one, unfortunatly i lost one of the other side of the leave on one side cause it got punctured and withered away :-( but he still has 3 on one side and 4 on the other, I'm fond of this guy just don't kno why he's getting wrinkled recently

JoJo

you are so right...the worlds slowest birth!!! It's been like that months, growing sooo slowly. I am just hoping that they will live, following advice I gathered from this forum...I 'like' to water my plants, so growing succulents is lesson in restrain :-), especially these lithops.

In either case, interesting 'brain-like' plant, I look at it every day.
hansrobo mentioned that it is odd/uncommon, but it does happen & they probably will revert to normal next season. Will see, either way they are 'different'...Rina

Kitty, how cute! Can't believe I'm typing this, but it looks thirsty (though don't get ridiculous just yet and actually water it, just because I said that.) Does it feel weightless?

Looking good, Rina! Yours seems to be getting taller too. You inspired me to take another pic of mine today. The next time I see one of these little guys for sale, I'm definitely getting it. They are so fun to watch - and then they finally do DO something!

These are my favorites! But the few I had I oops and they got a squirt while watering other plants..

I'll get more later. ;-)

They are some of the trickier ones to watch when it comes to water..

JoJo

Awesome!!!!!

No there not weightless, the roots look fine. A lil soft. . But I'm thinking its been cause the temp drop in my porch i moved them inside to see... i looked it up online and its nit a standard Lithop its in the rubia or some thing family???

I guess these get watered even during winter just not as frequent as in summer

Hubby said my little plants looked like aliens.. so I never let him near any of my babies now. lol..

We have a great place here in town that sells mainly these little guy that I am planning on getting to sometime this summer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Living stones nursery

Neat little plants. Admire the fact you've been able toget them to survive 1 year. Never could get the right culture for them. They are so otherworldy..I love that!

Update: 5 weeks later, they grew bit taller.
purple, yours grew so much & much faster - must be sun & heat? I find them extremely slow.

Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 0:00

Those look fantastic! With no basis for comparison, I have no answer to your question at all, and feel as mystified by my plant as if it wasn't actually mine. Your plant and mine look like different species, if that has anything to do with it.

Since we moved at the end of April, my mini garden is in a LOT more shade, in the only covered spot available for it. Time will show Lithops' opinion of this. If memory serves, about when one made a flower last year, I've been checking for signs of something like that happening again, but nothing yet. Might be too much shade.

I agree, those guys are definitely alien-like..
Here is one of mine- currently going they "the birth period"!

That's a great looking plant! What is it planted in?

Nik

That is neat...a superior twin is overgrowing the runt -:)
Hope it will catch-up. I like the fresh green color.
Mine is growing ever-so-slowly, not much change in 3 weeks. Or maybe I am just impatient?
Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Sun, Jul 20, 14 at 20:39

Just realized how funky that little Lithops is, so very cool! Can't wait to see mine start its slow transformation..

David

Not much changed since July 16th (also answering your question about them from other post); smaller one (on right)changed more, it did shed the old leaf completely.

Rina

I see, what about the big mushroom-like brown one? It seems like it hasn't done much since the start as well? How have you been watering them when they're doing different things? (two regenerating one is stalled)

KittieKat - did you ever figure out why your lithops was wrinkly? I just got some and they are starting to wrinkle. Should I water them then? I have then in gritty mix. I was thinking they might also be planted too shallow.

@Deva
Lithops getting wrinkly usually means they are thirsty and you can give them a drink. In gritty mix especially you can probably water them more often but still watch them closely to prevent overwatering. Sometimes even after watering they don't become unwrinkled, that means the roots might not be the healthiest at the moment, or other factors - sun, air flow - or they could also be regenerating new leaves so the old leaves begin to wrinkle and wither away.

Thanks David! I am sure the roots aren't the healthiest right now. I just acquired these a few weeks ago and got them in gritty mix maybe two weeks ago. I will give them a little water this evening. What about air flow though? I live in Iowa so its always pretty windy so they have to deal with that on my balcony. Is that okay for them?

Also, do you know if they will propagate like other succulents? I bought one from Lowes that didn't have ANY roots. I set it in some gritty mix just to see if it would do anything and it is not improving. Should I keep waiting or give up? The outside leaves are a little mushy but the inside ones are still firm.

Wind is good, as long as it won't blow the pot over xD.
From what I know Lithops are only propagated by seeds, some might be able to do division but I don't think it's common/easy. Could you post some pictures of your plants?

Sorry for the delay David. Classes have started and I'm already overwhelmed. But here is a pic. At this point I'm just wondering if it'll root or if I should give up. It's in a nice pot and if Im giving up on it I have something I want to put in the pot. Lol.

Firstly just FYI, that's not a Lithops but a Pleiospilos nelii. They have quite different sun/water requirements compared to Lithops actually. But anywho, unfortunately I'm not quite certain what to do with a plant without any roots. It looks fairly healthy otherwise though, so I wouldn't give up on it yet. I would take it out of the nice pot so you can use that pot for something else, and stick it in a smaller (3") plastic pot with straight pumice or perlite, or very small amount of soil with majority of pumice/perlite. You have to be quite patient with these things, just leave it in that pot and ignore it and maybe you'll see magic happen one day!

Thanks David. I will do that this weekend!