A species of flowering plant belonging to the genus Stapelia and family Apocynaceae is called Stapelia grandiflora. [1] Despite having no connection to cacti, it is sometimes known as the carrion plant, starfish flower, enormous toad plant, or starfish cactus. [3] The term “carrion plant” can also be used to describe members of kindred genera and closely related Stapelia species, such as Stapelia gigantea and Orbea variegata. Stapelia flavirostris and Stapelia grandiflora are other names for the same plant. [2] [3] The Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Free State are among South Africa’s natural regions where the plant is found. [4]
A cactus, is Orbea Variegata?
It is a leafless succulent perennial that reaches heights of 10 cm (3.9 in) and widths of 50 cm (20 in). It has serrated stems that resemble cacti, and its very varied, star-shaped, off-white or yellow blooms have significant maroon speckling and can reach diameters of up to 8 cm (3.1 in). The blooms may have uneven or symmetrical (banded) patterns. They have a central pentagonal annulus surrounded by five lobes that might be sharp or dull (corona). [4] For the purpose of luring possible insect pollinators, the blossoms may contain a slight carrion odor. [5]
Do Stapelia count as succulents?
A group of perennial succulent plants from South Africa is called Stapelia. It belongs to the same plant family as milkweeds, the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). The popular term “carrion flower” refers to a number of Stapelia species that are distinguished by having blossoms that smell like decaying meat.
How should a Stapelia cactus be cared for?
Light: Starfish plants prefer a lot of direct or indirect sunshine, whether inside or outside. Direct sunlight should be avoided since it can be harmful.
NOTE: In south Florida, I once successfully grew the Starfish cactus outdoors in full sun.
Temperature: They enjoy a warm environment, thus in the winter you should keep it above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wait until the earth is completely dry before watering again. Always use less water, especially in the winter. In the winter, don’t water deeply until the stems start to shrink slightly.
Soil: Stapelia plants prefer light, airy, well-drained soil, much like the majority of succulents do. Your cactus soil potting mix needs to include a lot of natural, organic matter because you won’t be providing fertilizer. The acidity shouldn’t be too high.
Repotting: In the spring, right before the growing season, repot, transplant, and/or propagate your Stapelia. Pick a low, broad pot that will give the plant room to grow.
To ensure proper drainage, fill the pot’s bottom with a layer of stones, potshards, or Styrofoam packing peanuts.
Pruning is not necessary on a regular basis for this succulent plant. Just cut off any stems that are dead or ugly. When the blooms have finished blooming, remove them.
Do starfish plants count as cacti?
These plants belong to the succulent plant family but aren’t quite cactus. They are plants with soft stems and no spines that radiate outward from a central point. They have thick skin and flesh that resembles carrion.
The magnificent five-petalled blossoms of the starfish flower cactus have a disagreeable odor. Fly and other insects are drawn to the aroma and pollinate the flowers. Flowers range in color from scarlet to brown and may be speckled with different hues.
The starfish flower cactus belongs to the Stapelia genus. The most popular variety to be harvested is the gigantea, which has magnificent flowers that are a foot across.
What classifies a plant as a succulent?
A succulent plant known as Sansevieria “Starfish” (Sansevieria cylindrica “Boncel”) has short, plump, fleshy, cylindrical leaves that taper to a point. This snake plant variety features grayish-green leaves that are surrounded by deeper green stripes.
The common term “snake plant” is given to many Sansevieria species; this cultivar is also known as “cylindrical snake plant.” Sansevieria starfish plants are low-maintenance succulents that just require a small amount of water and lots of indirect sunlight.
This page offers instructions on how to produce and maintain starfish snake plants at home.
Orbea—is it a cactus?
When you discover how unusual and fascinating Orbea variegata, formerly known as Stapelia variegata, is, you will undoubtedly be impressed. This succulent plant, which belongs to the Apocynaceae family, is indigenous to the Western Cape Province of South Africa’s coastal region. Orbea variegata may resemble a cactus, however it is in no way connected to the actual cactus family.
It is not surprising that Orbea variegata is quite well-liked all around the world. This succulent adds a dash of personality to any boring area in your surroundings with its appealing blend of the strange and fantastic. Beyond appearances, it has a great personality and makes minimal demands of its owner.
How is a stapelia made to bloom?
It doesn’t require special care, and full sun is not necessary for it to blossom. When the weather warms up, mine blooms from the tiny buds you mentioned. Flowers are large, unpleasant, and short-lived.
Do Stapelia flowers all smell bad?
I was so ecstatic when I saw the huge foot-wide blossom that my tiny, potted Stapelia gigantea had grown that I asked a neighbor over. Its size and hues clearly intrigued him, but before I could stop him, he put his nose up against the blossom’s center. He replied, “God, that’s disgusting!”
Yes, it was because most Stapelias have fragrant blossoms in addition to being really gorgeous. Carrion flowers are so named because they actually emit the smell of decaying flesh.
These South African spineless succulents are fascinating plants even when they are not in flower, with sprawling, four-angled stems that are bordered with soft tubercles. These sun-loving plants are classified into about fifty species, all of which have lovely flowers. However, very few of them have non-odiferous flowers. The most well-known of these is the fragrant S. flavopurpurea, sometimes known as starfish flower. Its blossoms are yellow, purple, and white, and they resemble starfish very strongly.
Starfish flower differs from most of its remarkably hairy siblings in that it lacks a disagreeable fragrance and isn’t particularly hairy. Nature uses those hairs, together with obnoxious scents and garish hues, to make Stapelia blooms resemble carrion in order to deceive its primary pollinators, flies.
Perhaps the most notable Stapelia blooms are those carried by S. grandiflora and S. hirsuta, which are big, pungent, multicolored, and hairy. They both hail from parts of South Africa that get their rain throughout the summer. They are hence suitable for outdoor cultivation in Central Florida. However, they are vulnerable to decaying in the winter and to mealybugs in the summer. Stapelias are generally more adapted to living indoors.
Other genera, such as Caralluma, Huernia, and Orbea, in addition to Stapelia, have vile-smelling, similarly vibrant flowers. Stapelias and related plants thrive in pots filled with succulent-specific potting soil. Aeration is improved and compaction is avoided when three parts of soil are mixed with one part of perlite. Although Stapelias love direct sunlight, I have sometimes observed them blooming in shadow. Additionally, they thrive in lighting intended specifically for plant growth. Between March and September, fertilize several times with a product designed specifically for succulents, such as Schultz Cactus Plus, applied at half-strength. Stapelias can be propagated from stem cuttings that have been let to dry for two days before being inserted into slightly moist soil. Online retailers sell plants. Some species also have seeds available.
How can Stapelia be distinguished?
A difficult and rewarding group of about 50 species of clump-forming stem succulents from Southern Africa make up the genus Stapelia. The transfer of species from Asia and South America to other genera has somewhat narrowed the range of the genus Stapelia. In the past, Stapelia and Orbea were combined. Orbea was once again divided into its own genus by Leach (1975).
Stapelia stems have four angled, toothed edges, no leaves, and may even be pubescent. Strong sunshine may cause the tall, primarily base-branching stems to turn crimson.
Stapelia produce remarkable, frequently enormous five-lobed flowers that can be red, purple, or yellow and frequently feature eye-catching banding patterns. In order to draw blow flies as pollinators, most species emit a putrid odor of rotting carrion on the surface, which might be brightly polished or matted with hairs. Blowing-flies, sometimes known as green-bottles, are frequently seen on Stapelia flowers, and they frequently lay their eggs in the center of the bloom. This is why they are also known as “carrion flowers.” Flowers on S. erectiflora and S. flavopurpurea have a pleasant smell.
Stapelias thrive in sunlight and are frequently used as window ledge plants. However, they must be watered sparingly, placed in a very freely-draining potting mix, and exposed to lots of diffuse sunshine because if not, they are prone to rotting into a mass of stems. If kept completely dry, a minimum Winter temperature of 50°F is acceptable. They are susceptible to assault from mealy bugs and root mealy bugs, just like other Stapeliads are.
The 4-angled, toothed stems of the upright succulents grow in 4 foot-tall bunches. Large (14 diameter), five-petalled flowers with a star shape are produced in the summer. The yellowish petals feature a fringe of silky white hairs and are outlined in varying amounts by embossed red lines. For the purpose of luring the pollinators of blowflies, the blooms release a scent of decaying flesh.
Originating in countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia in South-Eastern Africa. A popular house plant must be this one, based on the volume of inquiries we get asking what it is.
This Stapeliad forms clumps up to 3 feet in diameter on quadrangled succulent stems with toothed borders. Particularly when the plant is dry, the stem surfaces are slightly concave; however, when water is absorbed, they expand. The base of the stems are where buds are produced. Large, 5-petaled flowers with various patterns of reddish and yellowish ridges emit a foetid scent of decaying carrion. The blossoms are matted to varying degrees with white hairs. The borders of the petals also bear white hairs.
This highly varied stapeliad has four-angled succulent stems and extremely hairy blooms with reddish and yellowish streaks on the petals.
Named after: Miss Reino Leendertz, a botanist at the Transvaal Museum who collected this species. Stapelia leendertziae (Rooiaasblom, Aaskelk, Aasklok)
Dark, dull green makes up the tall, angular stalks. Dark red to purple bell-shaped flowers are produced low on the stems; the petals are united except at the tips.
The toothed, bright green stems of the succulents. The amount of each color varies quite a bit in the five-petaled yellow and brown flower.
This succulent was grown from seed in Vienna’s Imperial Garden and is not known to exist in the wild. It most likely has Stapelia revoluta as one of its parents. The petals’ crimson and yellow edges are framed by dark hairs.
How often should Stapelia be watered?
Surprisingly, the succulent plant is simple to maintain. In the spring and summer, they can expand a little. But from winter through spring, they can be carefree indoor plants. Therefore, we advise keeping your starfish flowers indoors during the winter and planting them outside during the summer.
Carrion Plants Care Best Potting Mix
Like most succulents, these plants with delicate stems do best in a cactus mix that drains well. In a cactus potting mix with some organic substance, the genus Stapelia thrives.
But keep in mind that it shouldn’t be overly acidic and that the drainage holes must be able to discharge water freely. Keep in mind that the plant doesn’t require feeding and is native to tropical areas.
As a result, you have the option of purchasing or making a commercial mix. This is a homemade recipe:
- 5 parts ordinary dirt
- Perlite or pumice, which helps keep moisture longer, in two portions
- Using coconut coir will prevent the pH from becoming too acidic.
Ideal Lighting For Your Thickly Skinned Plant
Succulents You might imagine that stapelia plants enjoy the full sun all day long. Although your succulent starfish flower likes direct sunshine, it actually thrives best in indirect light that allows for some partial sun.
On the other side, placing your succulent group plants in inadequate light prevents the development of chlorophyll. This ultimately results in discolored foliage.
Watering Needs For Starfish Cactus
Yes, we are aware that you want your Stapelia cactus to be as large as possible so that you may display its eye-catching blossom. But do not go and overwater your Stapelia flower; instead, stop right there.
To survive when temperatures rise, most Stapelia plants retain water. Please irrigate the soil only when it is dry between times.
Instead than having constant moisture cause root rot, the soil ought to dry out. But it still requires more water than certain cacti species do.
When springtime arrives, water your indoor plant every two weeks while watering your Stapelia cactus once every two weeks during the summer.
Space out your watering schedule more widely in the winter. Or you could wait out the entire season. If you leave the ground completely dry and you observe the stems shriveling, give your cactus some water.
Temperature & Humidity
Your Stapelia cactus enjoys a warm, humid environment. So, growing your plant in a container is rather simple. The explanation is that you can bring it inside during the winter when it is standing outside.
It is beneficial to keep the temperature above 50°F (10°C) in the winter months and to keep the plants dry until they begin to wilt.
Additionally, avoid placing your plant close to a heated air conditioner; instead, use a heated growth bench or a cover to protect the delicate sections.
However, grouping them with the rest of your plant collection can help your Stapelia bloom get the moisture it need.
Potting and Pruning Stapelia Flower
It’s time to move your starfish plant whenever you notice the stems getting too wide and tall. Again, the spring growth season is the ideal time to carry out this task.
Spend money on a potting media that is a little bit wider so that the stems can grow in any direction. To enhance drainage, add a layer of stones at the bottom.
With the exception of eliminating dead stems, pruning your succulents is not necessary. When the blooms fade, you can also remove them to promote fresh blooming.
Propagation of Stapelia Flower
You can grow more succulents by sowing seeds or utilizing stem cuttings. Nevertheless, keep in mind that seeds can take a few days to sprout after being sown.
For stem cuttings, you can cut a piece of the mature plant off with a sterilized, sharp knife. The greatest time is early spring or summer when it flourishes, much like with repotting.
To aid in the healing process, leave your cuts exposed to the elements over night. Prepare a pot with potting soil and make sure it has enough drainage.
Your seedlings or cuttings should be planted in moist ground without any protection in areas with light and temperatures between 59 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 18 degrees Celsius.)