About Lithops lesliei (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br.
Lithops lesliei (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. grows in rocky areas of grasslands and savannah, where it occurs in the shade of other plants. This species is distributed across summer-rainfall areas of South Africa, and it is not endemic to the country. Its population has recently declined by 15%, and this downward trend is projected to continue. The plants are collected for sale in markets for medicinal use. While the species can still be found in many locations, habitat loss and collection pressure in urban areas have led to it being classified as a threatened species in South Africa. Lithops lesliei is commonly grown as a houseplant and used in landscaping. Like all Lithops species, it needs extremely well-drained soil and follows an annual growth cycle: after a leaf-pair flowers, it produces a new leaf-pair that replaces the old one, which shrivels and dies away. The key watering guideline for this species is to keep Lithops dry from the end of flowering until the old leaf-pairs are fully replaced. Among all Lithops species, L. lesliei is one of the most tolerant of occasional incorrect watering, making it among the easiest species to cultivate, along with L. salicola, L. hookeri, and L. aucampiae. This plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
