Lithops, also known as living stones or pebble plants, are little succulent plants that blend in with rocks to avoid being eaten. They're basically the world's most camouflaged plant and have evolved to look like the pebbles and rocks of their native habitats in southern Africa.

Their deep resemblance to stones also gave them their name, lithops. It derives from the two Greek words, lithos, meaning stone, and opsis, meaning resemblance.

These tiny stone resembling plants consist of two leaves and an almost non-existent stem; the leaves are more or less buried in the soil with only the upper surfaces visible. And their skin is so thick that insects can't eat them.

Blending into the environment

It's the fleshy part of the plant that absorbs water and nutrients. The leaves do not, which is why they take on a stone-like appearance. They look so much like stones that you wouldn't be able to spot them in a gravel pit. Plus, lithops spread sideways, so one plant can have the appearance of several pairs of stones.

Lithops were first discovered by William John Burchell, an English explorer, in South Africa in 1811. But because of their incredible camouflage abilities, new lithops species continue to be discovered, with the latest discovery as recent as 2006. 

So far we know of at least 37 species of lithops and 145 varieties, which come in all different colors and shapes — some look like a pebble, other more like a jellybean. Some are grey, others green or pink. 

But they are all tan to brown in direct sunlight to blend into the environment even more. They also have a vast variation in lines, patches and dots on the upper surface, which help them blend in by hiding most of the leaf surface. Camouflage game: 10 out of 10.

Storing water for months

What's also fascinating about these plants is that they survive with little to no water and can live up to 50 years, even in extreme conditions.  

Beneath the soil is their stem and fairly long roots. The plants are known to hug the ground and grow extremely slowly.

It can take up to three years for them to flower. But eventually lithops produce an often sweet-smelling flower that grows out of the fissure between the leaves. Most lithops flower during fall and early winter. Their flowers are daisy-like yellow, light orange or white. They open at noon when the sun is shining the brightest and close again in the late afternoon.

If it's too dark, they will simply close up their leaves to prevent water loss. And because of this unique ability, they can even survive in deserts as they are able to store water for months. 

Edible desert plants

And they're edible! They actually taste like green pepper. You just have to spot them. 

In their natural habitats in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and some bordering regions of Angola, lithops blend in so well with the rocky, desert environment that they can be challenging to locate even for people with years of experience. 

But once they are spotted, they are often used as a source of food and herbal medicine.

Edited by: Sarah Steffen