The pink colored body and club shaped pair of leaves makes the Lithops optica 'Rubra' extremely distinguishable. Simple to care for and with a beautiful daisy like flower it is the choice of many plant lovers.
The Lithops optica, which is native and endemic to Namibia (south-west Africa) is a slow growing and cluster forming living stones plant. The most popular Lithops optica grown is the 'rubra' because of its beautiful and strong color. Living stones are a very interesting and unique set of species to grow and named living stones simply because of how they look like stones or pebbles. This enables them to blend in with their environment (camouflage) and protects them from harm.
New leaves will begin growing in Autumn and continue during the winter months and it is after the leaves have grown that the plant can be watered. It is advised to let the plant dry out in between watering as well as during the summer months (dormancy period). The plant will require very little water during the winter, spring and summer months, if at all.
This is a plant that thrives in areas of bright sunlight which is why it should be placed south or west facing. During the winter months it will need to receive as much light as possible. Make sure that some shade during the day is given the plant otherwise too much sun could cause overheating and harm.
A sandy, loamy soil is best for the Lithops optica rubra as the plant can suffer from rot if the soil does not drain sufficiently. 1 part gravel, 2 parts sand with 1 part loam is another good mix.
It is not advised to fertilize this plant as it can damage the tissues of the plant which can result in rot. If growers do feed them they only feed once during the winter growing season with a cactus or succulent diluted fertilizer.
Can be grown from parent plant division cuttings when more lithops have formed from the parent (this can be an issue because these plants like being clustered together)
Most living stone species can be propagated from division or seed. Seedlings typically take two to three years to reach maturity and begin flowering.Living stones are very slow growing, small plants, which makes them ideal as houseplants (once you get the hang of their watering schedule). Older plants form attractive clumps of "pebbles" in their pots, which are highly prized. In general, plants should only be repotted if there are cultural problems (soggy soil) or the plant has outgrown its dish container, which will only happen after several years.
The Lithops optica 'rubra' can deal with variation of temperatures due to its origin. The plant does benefit from a consistent temperature of 65°F (18°C)- 75°F (24°C) although it will need to be protected from frost.
