Split Rock

Pleiospilos nelii (Split Rock) is a dwarf succulent in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Province of South Africa. Its two to four stacked, hemispherical leaves are patterned with dark spots on a grey-green or brownish surface, providing near-perfect mimicry of the granite boulders in its habitat. Showy orange to yellow flowers, often as wide as or wider than the plant body, emerge from the central fissure in autumn and winter. Mature plants are 3–8 cm across. Like Lithops, Pleiospilos undergoes an annual leaf renewal cycle in which old leaves shrivel as they transfer their stored water to the emerging new pair. Supplying water during this transition period leads to double shedding or rot. Watering should be restricted to a few times per year, with complete drought in summer. Maximum sunlight and extremely fast-draining substrate are essential for success.

Minimal