Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
grant_in_arizona

Another stinker (Stapelia)

grant_in_arizona
12 years ago

Hi everyone,

I hope you and your gardens are doing well. My little garden is looking pretty good this summer--I've gotten more rain this monsoon than any since I've lived here (11 years). I've got some areas that look bad of course, LOL, but overall the garden looks pretty good (very good if you consider it's August, LOL).

Anyway, I grow many dozens of stapeliads (Stapelia and its relative) and this Stapelia is blooming this week so I thought I'd send in a pic since the forum is pretty quiet this time of year. I've been growing this plant on the east side of my house for four years and it's done really well, blooming heavily in spring/fall and a little bit in summer too.

Stapelia bloom with tennis ball (to show relative size) and two flies

{{gwi:414386}}

It's from a climate without pollinating bees, so it relies on smelling like rotting meat to attract flies which mistake it for carrion and pollinate the blooms. From several feet away you can't smell the blooms, although if you stick your nose within a couple of inches its NASTY. They're interesting looking, easy to grow, and the concept is fascinating so I grow a lot of them. I hope you'll take a look and enjoy them. I've purchased and planted several species and hybrids, plus I collect seeds from my plants now and then and plant them, so I've got a lot of these tucked here and there in the garden.

If you're looking for a low water plant with big blooms for shade or partial shade, give a stapelia ("starfish flower", "carrion lily") a try.

Take care,

Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: My garden pics (so far for the month) for August 2011

Comments (4)

Sponsored