I've been told that lithops can shrivel up like that and then come back to life when conditions are more to their liking.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mesemb info site

You should see live growth, and perhaps flowers at this time of the year. They are winter growers and make flowers here in the Los Angeles area. Just stop watering until after they flower and set seeds, and dry up about March, then water only once and sprinkle once in a while the rest of the year, they need very little water, and grow in pure quartzite in Africa, with full hot sun. Yours are growing just like they do in Africa. Hiding down, when dormant. They would hate NYCity. If the bodies have some give, just leave them alone, watch for dried brown leaves, and new growth starting up and out of them, now the new flower buds should be coming up and out. I think you are vey brave growing this difficul it species for most of us. Norma
Any one from New York growing this species, if so please respond and help this person. Norma

,if so, please respond to this grower. Norma

"Hate" NYC is a little bit of an extreme comment. I have hundreds of Lithops and other plants that have been thriving, blooming and multiplying for many years.

If they were outdoors unprotected all year, then yes they'd be dead rather quickly. If they were indoors all year, they will also die just not as quickly.

What they need is the proper conditions which you can read about in the above linked article and elsewhere on the web. It takes some effort and resources to grow them well in non-native areas but I assure you it can be done successfully.

But keeping them on a windowsill and warm long-term is guaranteed failure unless you figure out what modifications are needed in your immediate environment and you really know and understand what you're doing. These are not "windowsill" plants if you intend to keep them alive and healthy for a long time.

For starters they need real sun, plenty of excellent air circulation, moderate soil temperatures and cooler than room temperature evenings to flourish. A south window would be fine as long as you can keep the pot from overheating which is not always easy. Air circulation can be provided with a fan. Cooler evenings can be accomplished by opening the window as needed at night but this becomes exceedingly more difficult in the winter.

If you are serious about maintaining Lithops and other mesembs indoors on a windowsill, you will need to do a lot more reading and learning about what may work for you.

Best of luck,

x

Hi X why do you sound so angry, did I say something you did not like? This is a public forum, and I am so glad you responded, I have never lived in NY, and know it is more difficult to grow succulents there. I was only saying how it is done in Calif. So have you and that is fair enough. You gave excellent advise, and I was hoping that peoople who grew this species in NY would respond. Fair enough, the poster was asking if the plant was alive or dead so is it or not. Norma

Norma I'm not angry at all, just providing my 2 cents to the original poster. I apologize if my comments seemed inflammatory. I promise you they were not.

The point I was trying to make to the grower is basically this: it doesn't even matter if they are dead or alive right now, because if they continue to grow on a windowsill in poor conditions, more likely than not they will be going downhill regardless. Unless of course some better conditions can be provided as I tried to explain.

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x