Mesembs are succulent plants in the family Aizoaceae, a very large plant family that contains 1,900 species.
Also known as Living Stones – as they look just like pebbles! – with their unusual patterns, textures, and leaf forms helping them camouflage among rocks.
Masters of recycling, these plants use water from their old leaves to inflate their new leaves, helping them survive drought conditions that would kill many other plants.
The variation in climates in which they will grow is quite dramatic, with some preferring beaches, others high mountains and others deserts.
The only common trait their habitats share is that they have seasonal rainfall, even if the total amount of rainfall is small.
Amongst the easiest plants to grow, as in general, they require very little water, lots of sunshine and a gritty soil that dries quickly.
Many mesembs go dormant during the dry season, in order to conserve water. A dormant mesemb should not be watered at all.
