Plant care
Compton's Living Stonetemperature & humidity
Lithops comptonii
More about compton's living stone
Ideal temperature for compton's living stone
Aim for 10-30°C (50-86°F) on the thermostat and you've handled the easy part. The hard part is the half-metre around the plant: window glass that drops to near-freezing on a January night, a radiator pumping out hot dry air, a draught from an opened front door. Move the plant 30 cm and you've usually fixed the problem. Below roughly 10°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Compton's Living Stone is frost-tender (USDA 10-12 (indoor; frost-free minimum 5°C), RHS H2). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for compton's living stone
Compton's Living Stone sits happiest at around 20-40% relative humidity. Low humidity is ideal and reflects the arid Namaqualand habitat. Standard indoor air is suitable. Avoid placing near kitchens, bathrooms, or humidifiers. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Compton's Living Stone temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for compton's living stone?
Compton's Living Stone grows best between 10-30°C (50-86°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can compton's living stone tolerate?
Compton's Living Stone starts to suffer below roughly 10°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does compton's living stone need?
Compton's Living Stone prefers about 20-40% relative humidity. Low humidity is ideal and reflects the arid Namaqualand habitat. Standard indoor air is suitable. Avoid placing near kitchens, bathrooms, or humidifiers.
How do I raise humidity for compton's living stone?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can compton's living stone live outside?
Compton's Living Stone is rated for USDA zone 10-12 (indoor; frost-free minimum 5°C) and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More compton's living stone care
In the UK? Keeping compton's living stone warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full compton's living stone care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.