Hardy Tropicals UK

can lithops be grown outside? i think they are pretty cool and they are also pretty cheap in my local gc

In Namibia, yes. In Britain, no. Sorry!

They ARE hardy to -5 or so but have to be kept bone dry and should only be watered in winter if it looks like they are really suffering.

so a plant for an unheated greenhouse

Probably the plant that has the least impact in a garden setting. After all, it's easily mistaken for a pebble.

However, it should most definitely be grown outside...before being put inside a greenhouse for winter. As it's a small curiosity it would look great in a mini-garden mixed with other dwarf cacti and succulents in some elegant terracotta poking out of a contrasting gravel dressing.

i know what you mean about them being mistaken for pebbles but ive seen large groups planted together and i thought they looked pretty cool how do they cope with humidity in a greenhouse?

James1991 wrote:i know what you mean about them being mistaken for pebbles but ive seen large groups planted together and i thought they looked pretty cool

Ooops, sorry, just trod on them! .... Errr, well you see I thought it was a gravel path .....

James1991 wrote:how do they cope with humidity in a greenhouse?

Depends on the greenhouse - if it's set to humid tropical then no, if it's set to dry heat, then fine.

Not lithops but there are other mesembs well worth growing outside.