Visiting Old C&S Friends

Lithops bromfieldii var. insularis 'Sulphurea'

This is my oldest lithops.  It is also one of the few lithops I have that I did not grow from seed.  It was purchased as a single headed plant in 1986 from Ed Storms nursery.  It cost $3.50 at that time, which seems rather expensive in that you can purchase plants today from U.S. nurseries for only $4.00.  

While the size of the clump looks impressive, remember, it is now 27 years old, and this is a cultivar that clumps extremely fast.  Steven Hammer describes it as having a manic disposition and clustering uncontrollably.   It is also very slow at shedding its old leaves and is a pain to water correctly in the spring.  In some years half the heads have their new leaves and half are way behind.  But now, after 27 years it is an old friend.  It survived the tornado that hit my home in 2002 when more than 200 other succulents did not.  It always brings surprise reactions from the public when I enter it in our local C&S Society shows.  The photo above was taken last year and I think I'll have to repot it next year, as this year it is almost going over the sides of the pot.  My next largest lithops is L. bromfieldii var insularis at eight heads.  I don't have a current photo of that plant but I'll try to get one soon.  

Although 27 years is certainly an OLD friend, it is not my oldest plant.  But I'll save that old friend for another post.  Happy succulent growing.