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Lithops lesliei 5.5cm

Name: Lithops lesliei 5.5cm
Brand: Greenleaf Garden Center
SKU: Lithlesliei5.5cm
Price: 3.5 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

€4,00

€3,50

Quantity

Dispatched within 1–3 business days · Carefully packed

Succulent · Aizoaceae · Windowed living stone

Lithops lesliei

Beautiful, strange and deeply suspicious of water 👀

Family: Aizoaceae · Pot diameter: 5.5 cm

Aizoaceae
One pair of fused leaves
Stone-mimicking pattern
Seasonal leaf replacement
Southern African species

Lithops lesliei erases the boundary between plant and stone. Two fleshy leaves fuse into a low body with a flat top, where olive, brown, grey and ochre form islands, lines and translucent windows; every head resembles a unique miniature geological landscape.

Extreme mimicry and an annual renewal cycle make it far more than a charming little succulent: it is a living collector object whose form changes before your eyes. It suits lovers of botanical oddities, makes an inspired gift and rewards collections where one tiny detail matters more than sheer volume.

What makes it stand out

Three defining details that turn its botanical identity into real presence for a collection and interior.

Stone mimicry

Colour and crown pattern break up the outline, allowing the body to disappear visually among gravel.

One body, two leaves

The visible body consists mainly of one pair of thick leaves divided by a central fissure.

An annual living transformation

A new pair forms internally and gradually absorbs the old one.

Why you’ll love it: it is one of nature’s most convincing disguises, offering continual collector interest through pattern, fissure, renewal and potential flowering.

In your spacePlacement & plant pairingsWhere it looks best and which plants complement it

In your space

Where it looks its best

Display it in a low yet sufficiently deep pot with fine gravel echoing its pattern. A view from above is essential, and clear surrounding space makes the stone mimicry even more convincing.

Plant pairings

Plants that complement it

Pair it with plants that genuinely share its light, substrate and seasonal rhythm. Separate pots keep care precise for each one.

Lithops aucampiae — warmer terracotta patterns within the same seasonal rhythm.
Pleiospilos nelii — a larger split stone for scale contrast.
Conophytum bilobum — a small bilobed body with a related winter logic.

Care at a glance

Light

Very intense brightness with ample gentle direct sun after acclimation.

Watering

Water follows the leaf cycle; none while the new pair is absorbing the old one.

Leaf cycle

Strong airflow, dry conditions and protection from frost, stagnant heat and winter damp.

Pets & children

No strong species-specific toxicology record is available; discourage ingestion and do not squeeze the soft bodies.

For this plant

Substrate & nutrition

Suitable substrateSybasoil Cacti & Succulent Premium Mix 5ltView product

Suitable feedCactus&Succulent focus 100mlView product

Detailed careComplete care guideLight, drying cycle, climate, substrate and feeding in detail

Light and position

Give it an exceptionally bright position with ample gentle sun. Make changes slowly because sudden summer intensity can bleach or scar the flat crown.

Correct watering

Do not follow a fixed calendar. Water deeply only when the body is active and firm and the mix is dry; stop completely as soon as a new pair appears inside the old one.

Airflow and humidity

Continuous airflow and very low humidity are essential around the fissure. Avoid misting and surfaces that retain moisture beside the neck.

Temperature and seasonal rhythm

After possible autumn flowering, internal renewal begins. Through winter the new pair consumes the old; absorption finishes in spring, and water resumes only after the old lobes have dried away.

Substrate

Use a deep, almost entirely mineral mix with fine but stable particle structure. Roots need depth, while the neck remains dry and at the correct level.

Feeding, repotting and handling

Feeding is minimal. Add nothing after fresh Sybasoil; later, only if clearly needed, use extremely diluted Cactus & Succulent Focus during active growth.

Botanical identityIdentity & natural originAccepted name, taxonomic history and natural or cultivated provenance

An accepted species with a 1912 history

N.E. Brown first published the plant as Mesembryanthemum lesliei in 1912 and transferred it to Lithops in 1922. Kew accepts Lithops lesliei.

From Botswana to the Free State

Its native range extends from south-eastern Botswana to South Africa’s Free State in desert or dry shrubland.

A natural species, not a cultivar

The label identifies the natural species and gives no locality form, field number or named cultivar. No specific population origin should therefore be assigned.

From natural habitat to care: In dry southern African landscapes the body remains almost buried, mimics surrounding stones and renews a single leaf pair using internal reserves. In cultivation success depends on strong light, a deep mineral root zone and absolute respect for the waterless renewal phase.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific facts nobody asked forBotanical detail for anyone who wants to know what lies behind the plant’s appearance

The name means stone-like appearance

Lithops combines the Greek words lithos and opsis, directly describing its mimicry.

Windows illuminate internal tissues

The flat crown has translucent zones that permit photosynthesis while most of the body remains protected below.

The new pair consumes the old

Water and nutrients move from the old outer leaves into the new ones, so added water during this phase disrupts the cycle.

The flower emerges from the fissure

A mature body may produce a yellow flower from the central fissure, often near the end of the active period.

Frequently asked questions

Useful answers about light, watering, seasonal rhythm and the plant’s correct identity.

01Exactly when should it be watered?

Not by calendar. Water during active growth after complete drying, but not at all while the new pair absorbs the old one.

02Why are the old leaves wrinkling?

If a new pair is growing inside, wrinkling is the natural transfer of reserves, not a request for water.

03Should I remove the dry old leaves?

Not while they resist. Let them dry completely and detach without force.

04Why is it rising above the gravel?

Usually from insufficient brightness or excess water. Improve the position gradually and restore the correct cycle.

05Can it flower?

Mature healthy plants may produce a yellow flower from the fissure, but flowering is not guaranteed every year.

06Is it a cultivar or natural species?

It is an accepted natural species. Without an additional label, no particular locality form or clone is known.

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Lithops lesliei 5.5cm

Lithops lesliei 5.5cm

Lithops lesliei

What makes it stand out

Stone mimicry

One body, two leaves

An annual living transformation

Where it looks its best

Plants that complement it

Care at a glance

Light

Watering

Leaf cycle

Pets & children

Substrate & nutrition

Light and position

Correct watering

Airflow and humidity

Temperature and seasonal rhythm

Substrate

Feeding, repotting and handling

An accepted species with a 1912 history

From Botswana to the Free State

A natural species, not a cultivar

The name means stone-like appearance

Windows illuminate internal tissues

The new pair consumes the old

The flower emerges from the fissure

Frequently asked questions

Lithops lesliei 5.5cm — Care & Tips

We take care of the packaging!

With specially designed boxes, we ensure that the plants will reach you intact, no matter what they encounter on the way!

All plants in 3L pots or larger are placed in individual boxes that secure the plant at the base of the pot, preventing it from tipping over.

The cardboard used for the boxes is specially made to provide resistance to potential impacts during transport.

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