Most home gardeners will propagate it from cuttings (see the link with the online edition for growing from seed). Stem cuttings and seed can be used to propagate Stapelia. Use care not to overwater Stapelia as it can cause root rot. Plant rooted cuttings into the soil mix and water until water drains from the hole in the pot. This can be mixed at home using two parts washed sand and one part mineral soil (weed free soil from outdoors). The potting mix should be appropriate for succulents and cactus. I keep mine indoors year round in a bright, sunny location. This pot should easily moveable avoid freezing temperatures. In the higher elevations of Arizona, Stapelia should be grown in a small or medium-sized unglazed, clay pot with a large drainage hole. There are also Stapelia relatives in the genera Edithcolea, Stapelianthus, Caralluma, and Huernia. gigantea offered for sale from online sources. One reference I found listed 55 species of Stapelia, but only a small number of these are readily available for purchase. Many Stapelia species are available for purchase from succulent nurseries. Interestingly, I can’t detect a foul smell on the flowers of my Stapelia and I think I have a keen sense of smell. The flower is said to smell like rotting meat to attract the flies that pollinate it. The flowers are also fringed with 1/3-inch-long hairs. gigantea are yellow with narrow red stripes arranged radially around the petals. The large star-shaped, five-petalled, flowers appear on the lower portion of the short plant in late summer and are about 10 inches in diameter. This species only grows about 8-10 inches tall and has smooth, erect, light green stems. South African succulent genera readers may be familiar with are: Sedum, Aloe, Euphorbia, Crassula, and Kalanchoe. It is quite interesting these plants independently evolved similar characteristics even though they are found on opposite ends og the planet. Others form rosettes similar to Yucca and Agave. Some have spines, causing them to appear similar to cacti. Many of South African succulents also look similar to New World cacti and succulents, but upon closer examination, they are quite different. This difference often requires South African succulents to be grown in frost-free areas or as indoor plants for at least a portion of the year. Higher elevations of the Mohave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin deserts can be very cold and regularly experience freezing temperatures. However, the maritime influence in South Africa tends to buffer the extreme cold temperatures making the succulents from there more frost tender. South Africa is home to many species of succulents and is similar in precipitation and summer temperatures to the southwest deserts of the U.S. I’ve had one of these plants for 20 or more years and it has never required special care. A less repellent common name is “starfish flower”. Many species of Stapelia are known for having flowers that smell like rotting meat giving them the common name “carrion flower”. It is in the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae) which is the same plant family as milkweeds. Stapelia is a genus of perennial succulent plants from South Africa. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County Jeff Schalau, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Backyard Gardener - Did Something Die or is the Stapelia Blooming? - September 18, 2019ĭid Something Die or is the Stapelia Blooming? - September 18, 2019
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