Rare living stone plant, found in a tiny area in Namibia, is critically endangered

In a remote corner of Namibia's Erongo Mountains, a rare plant named Lithops werneri thrives on an exceedingly thin layer of gravel. This succulent, colloquially known as a living stone or pebble plant, is confined to a mere 4 square kilometers, according to the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. Since 1981, the population of L. werneri has plummeted by over 80%, leaving fewer than 200 individuals in the wild as of February 2026.

Sonja Loots, manager of the Threatened Plants Programme at Namibia's National Botanical Research Institute, confirmed the plant's restricted range, stating that it has "always had a restricted range". Despite initial scientific description in the 1950s, L. werneri was heavily harvested for horticulture purposes in Europe, a practice that continues to this day.

Despite multiple searches by succulent enthusiasts, no additional populations have been discovered. Interestingly, the plant was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in the original location in 2012, a census in which recorded 659 plants. However, subsequent surveys have found the numbers dwindling, with only 118 plants in 2019 and 163 in 2020.

L. werneri belongs to the Lithops genus, a group of dwarf succulents, also known as living stones or pebble plants, found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. These plants typically grow in small clusters on rocky outcrops, with just a single pair of water-storing leaves attached to their roots. L. werneri grows in an even thinner layer of gravel, measuring approximately 2 centimeters.