Our mission
Lithops — the genus of pebble-mimicking succulents from southern Africa — are some of the most misidentified and miscared-for plants in cultivation. The information online is fragmented, often contradictory, and rarely specific to the species you actually own. Appsbarn exists to fix that: one trusted reference where every species has its own profile, the care guidance is honest about what varies by climate, and the identification keys are usable by a beginner.
How content is created
Each species profile and guide is drafted by our editorial team using primary botanical sources — published taxonomic revisions, Cole & Cole's Lithops: Flowering Stones, field reports from succulent societies, and curated photographs. Drafts are then sent to invited contributors — growers who specialize in that species or live in a climate where it grows natively — for review, correction, and a real-world sanity check.
When a contributor has authored or co-authored a profile, you'll see their name in the byline. When no outside contributor has yet reviewed a piece, the byline reads "Editorial Team."
How we handle accuracy
- Botanical names follow the latest accepted taxonomy on Kew's Plants of the World Online.
- Care numbers (temperature ranges, watering windows) are given as ranges, not absolutes — Lithops are sensitive to local light, humidity, and pot depth, and a single figure misleads more than it helps.
- Corrections are welcomed. Email the team at the address on our contact page and we'll review, update, and credit you in the change log.
What we are not
We are not a shop, a nursery, or a marketplace. We don't ship plants and we don't take payments. Some Lithops species are CITES-listed, and we encourage readers to buy only from reputable, legal nurseries in their own country.
Who runs the site
Appsbarn is run by a small editorial team of long-time succulent growers and writers. We list the people involved on the Contributors page. If you grow Lithops seriously and want to be involved, see Become a contributor.