leaf drop on Lithops
Quick answer
If your Lithops has leaf drop, the most likely cause is: Lithops replace their single pair of leaves once per year; the old pair loses turgor, dries to a papery husk, and is eventually pushed aside as the new pup emerges from the cleft. If watering is not reduced at the first sign of molting, the old leaves stay waterlogged, fail to shrivel cleanly, and the new leaves inside may rot instead of separating from the old pair.
Start here:
- 1. When the surface of the old leaf pair starts to look loose and the plant loses its firm tension, stop watering immediately and keep the pot in a bright, ventilated spot until the new leaf pair emerges through the central cleft.
- 2. Do not pull or peel the old leaves off — let the new pair absorb the moisture and nutrients stored in the old pair until the husk is fully dry and falls away on its own.
Why Lithops gets leaf drop
Lithops
Lithops replace their single pair of leaves once per year; the old pair loses turgor, dries to a papery husk, and is eventually pushed aside as the new pup emerges from the cleft. If watering is not reduced at the first sign of molting, the old leaves stay waterlogged, fail to shrivel cleanly, and the new leaves inside may rot instead of separating from the old pair.
How to reverse leaf drop on Lithops
- 1
When the surface of the old leaf pair starts to look loose and the plant loses its firm tension, stop watering immediately and keep the pot in a bright, ventilated spot until the new leaf pair emerges through the central cleft.
- 2
Do not pull or peel the old leaves off — let the new pair absorb the moisture and nutrients stored in the old pair until the husk is fully dry and falls away on its own.
- 3
Once the old husk has dropped and only the new pair remains, resume light watering in autumn and continue only while the plant shows active growth.
Keep leaf drop off this Lithops
Learn to recognise the spring molting signal — loss of surface tension and a dulling of the leaf colour — and respond by withholding water until the new leaves have fully replaced the old pair, which preserves the plant's annual rhythm.