Lithops lesliei 'Albinica'

A member of the family known as ‘mimicry plants,’ Lithops lesliei 'Albinica' has evolved to closely resemble the rocks and pebbles characteristic of its native South African environment. With broad, fleshy leaves speckled in shades of olive green and mustard yellow, this succulent lives primarily under the soil, with only the tops of its leaves emerging above the surface. This unique growth pattern required ‘Albinica’ to adapt windowpane-like structures across the flat surface of its leaves, which allow light to enter even into the depths of the plant. While the plant itself tops out at less than 2 inches wide, large daisy-like flowers will emerge annually from the fissure between its leaves, putting on quite a show from this already mesmerizing plant!

The most tricky aspect of caring for the slow growing ‘Albinica’ is making sure not to overwater – indeed, this plant requires no water at all during the winter and summer months, preferring only light watering during the fall and spring, and even then only once the soil has become completely dry. Not only can too much water cause the leaves to burst, but it is critical to allow the new leaf set formed each year to draw from the water stores of the ‘parent’ leaves, causing them to wither away to make room for the new leaf duo.

Once you get the hang of this watering schedule, ‘Albinica’s care becomes very straightforward. Extremely porous soil in a deep, well draining pot to accommodate the tap root, and exposure to filtered to bright light will set you up for success.

NOTE: Every 2" pot contains 1 lithop. Every 2.5" pot may contain 1-3 individual lithops depending on current availability.

***This plant is not available for wholesale***

Plant sizing is based on the diameter of the nursery pot (2", 2.5", 3", 4" etc), not the plant itself. Plants may be slightly larger or smaller than the pot they are grow in depending on availability or time of year. While we do our best to ship plants as similar to those pictured as possible, please keep in mind that all plants are unique from one to the next, and display color, shape, and growth variation based on current environment, time of year, and other contributing factors. Please note that we ship our plants as dry as possible in the fall and winter months to prevent root rot or freezing. They will plump back up after planting!