It is very cold outside but the sun in shining and you can see positive changes in lithops every day. All past hardships are forgotten and they are ready for this new season.
Lithops steineckeana are probably the least lithops-looking of the genus. Supposedly, they are a cross between L. pseudotruncatella and some conophytum, and their looks do seem to support that, but who knows?
I grew below plants from seed. They are now 6 years old but they have never flowered for me. This year they have regenerated beautifully as always but have been nibbled on by mites a little bit. (The question is what has not been nibbled on by mites on my windowsill this winter?) Good thing lithops are not bothered by that much and get over it by the next regeneration.
The elongated form is the normal shape they grow in and the patterns lithops have only on top of their leaves actually go all the way down L. steineckeana's sides.
I do have one that is shorter. It is currently sharing its container with some L. gracilidelineata.
Same as their shape, the pattern is also not very stable. The below plant originated from the same batch of seeds, maybe even the same seed pod, but it almost looks like L. pseudotruncatella. If you have many seedlings you will see some completely white, others with little windows of L. pseudotruncatella patterns, and yet others that are fully patterned as L. pseudotruncatella. I only have 5 plants and they are all different.
Lithops lesliei 'Fred's Redhead' (more like Blackhead) I grew from seed back in 2011 have not escaped mites either. They're doing fine though. The color is so crazy dark when they are freshly changed! Too bad they also never flower. Only when the sunlight falls on them in a specific angle the red comes out. Otherwise they are all dark purple.
While lithops are plumping up like this L. bromfieldii v. glaudinae 'Rubroroseus'(5 years old)...
... most of the Conophytums are already deeply asleep. Make sure you don't bother yours until late August!
