I was in NYC last weekend and was walking around the West Village, when I happened upon The Old Yew Plant Shop on Horatio Street at 8th Avenue. They had a lot of cool plants, unusual varieties, but then I noticed what looked like a collection of little brains, and I was intrigued – I’d never seen anything like these before.
As you can see in the sign below, they’re called “Lithops, Living Stones,” and they’re a type of succulent. I was curious to learn more, and what I found out was that the name “Lithops” comes from the Greek words “lithos,” which means “stone,” and “ops” which means “face.” They are originally native to southern Africa, and are often referred to as pebble plants or “living stones.” Personally, I think they look more like little brains rather than stones, but I still think they’re pretty cool.
I’ve had bad luck with keeping plants alive for very long, despite having good southern daylight exposure and watering on a regular basis, but succulents seem to last longer than other plants in my home. I didn’t buy any on the actual day I was in The Old Yew, but that’s because I had a full day of wandering NYC ahead of me, but seeing how there’s so many different styles and looks for this funky plant, I think I want to get some!