{"id":64922,"date":"2025-05-22T19:55:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T18:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/product\/lithops-optica-rubra\/"},"modified":"2025-05-30T11:17:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T10:17:44","slug":"lithops-optica-rubra","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/product\/lithops-optica-rubra\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithops Optica Rubra"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-sourcepos=\"1:1-1:66\">Lithops optica Rubra: The \u201cPurple Stones\u201d of the Desert<\/h2>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:589\">Discover the beauty and perfect camouflage of <strong>Lithops optica \u201cRubra\u201d<\/strong>, one of the most coveted \u201cstone plants\u201d among succulent enthusiasts. Originally from the arid landscapes of South Africa, this particular variety of Lithops stands out for its deep, vibrant coloration in shades of purple and reddish-brown, mimicking the stones and gravel of its natural habitat in an extraordinary way. Each plant creates an almost spherical shape with a translucent \u201cwindow\u201d at the top, through which light is absorbed.  <\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:20\"><strong>Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"7:1-12:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:330\"><strong>Bodies (Leaves):<\/strong> Consists of two fleshy, semi-fused leaves that form an almost spherical or obconic body. The coloration is its greatest attraction: rich shades of dark red, ruby, reddish-purple and brown, with a translucent area (\u201cwindow\u201d) at the top, which can have lighter or darker patterns. <\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"8:1-8:146\"><strong>Size:<\/strong> Small, usually 1 to 3 cm in diameter per body. It grows in very slow clusters, but can form compact groups over time. <\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"9:1-9:132\"><strong>Mimicry:<\/strong> Its coloration and shape are a fascinating adaptation to camouflage itself between rocks, protecting itself from herbivores.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"10:1-10:154\"><strong>Growth:<\/strong> Slow, going through an annual \u201crenewal\u201d cycle where a new pair of leaves grows inside the old one, which eventually dries up and opens.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"11:1-12:0\"><strong>Flowering:<\/strong> Produces solitary flowers, usually white or slightly yellowish, which emerge from the gap between the lobes in late fall or early winter. The flowers are diurnal and can be surprisingly large in relation to the body of the plant. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"13:1-13:53\"><strong>Essential Care (and the Secret to Success):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"15:1-23:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"15:1-15:241\"><strong>Light:<\/strong> Requires <strong>direct, intense sunlight<\/strong> for most of the day to maintain its vibrant color and compact growth. In Portugal, it may benefit from some protection in the height of summer if the sun is excessively strong. <\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"16:1-19:162\"><strong>Watering:<\/strong> The most critical aspect and where most mistakes happen. Lithops have a very specific watering cycle:\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"17:5-19:162\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"17:5-17:132\"><strong>Winter (Growth\/Flowering):<\/strong> Water sparingly only when the bodies begin to \u201cwilt\u201d slightly.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"18:5-18:186\"><strong>Spring (Change of Leaves): <\/strong>During this period, while the new bodies are forming and absorbing moisture from the old ones, water sparingly.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"19:5-19:162\"><strong>Summer (dormancy):<\/strong> Water with minimal water if the plant looks shriveled, to prevent rotting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"20:1-20:188\"><strong>Substrate:<\/strong> <strong>Essentially mineral and with excellent drainage.<\/strong> An ideal mix includes coarse sand, perlite, pumice and\/or akadama, with very little organic matter.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"21:1-21:80\"><strong>Ventilation:<\/strong> Requires good air circulation to prevent moisture build-up.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"22:1-23:0\"><strong>Temperature:<\/strong> Tolerates high temperatures in summer (in dormancy) and cold nights in winter, but should be protected from strong and prolonged frosts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"24:1-24:18\"><strong>Where to grow:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"26:1-29:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"26:1-26:164\"><strong>Shallow pots:<\/strong> Ideal for growing in shallow, porous pots (such as terracotta) with large drainage holes, where its camouflaged appearance can be enhanced.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"27:1-27:93\"><strong>Miniature Rock Gardens:<\/strong> Can be integrated into mini desert or rock gardens.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"28:1-29:0\"><strong>Rare Succulent Collections:<\/strong> An outstanding piece for collectors, due to its unique beauty and specific care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lithops Optica Rubra<\/p>\n<p>Vaso 8 (Minimum 3 heads)<\/p>\n<p>Origin: South Africa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":64623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"etheme_brands":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[194,484,472],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-64922","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-succulents","product_cat-collectors-spot-en","product_cat-lithops-en","first","instock","sale","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/64922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/etheme_brands?post=64922"},{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=64922"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=64922"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jardimdapini.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=64922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}