Flowers that take your breath away
It was with great excitement that I invited a neighbor over to see the magnificent foot-wide flower that my small, potted Stapelia gigantea had produced. He was suitably impressed by its size and colors, but — before I could stop him — he pushed his nose close to the blossom’s center. ‘’God, that’s disgusting!’’ was his response.
Indeed it was, because the flowers of most Stapelias are not only breathtakingly beautiful — they’re smelly. In fact, they radiate an aroma of rotting flesh, which is why they’re known as carrion flowers.
Even when not blooming, these South African spineless succulents are interesting plants, with spreading, sprawling, four-angled stems edged with fleshy tubercles. Fifty or so species of these sun-loving plants are recognized, and all have attractive flowers. Only a handful, however, bear blossoms that aren’t odiferous. Of those, the most popular is the sweet-smelling S. flavopurpurea, often called starfish flower. Its blossoms, which look very much like starfish, are yellow, purple and white.
In addition to lacking an offensive aroma, starfish flower isn’t particularly hairy, which also sets it apart from most of its remarkably hairy kin. Those hairs, combined with foul odors and lurid colors, are nature’s way of making Stapelia flowers resemble carrion to fool their main pollinators — flies.
Perhaps the most notable Stapelia flowers — large, smelly, colorful and hairy — are those borne by S. grandiflora and S. hirsuta. Both are from regions in South Africa that receive their rainfall in summer. For that reason, they can be cultivated outdoors in Central Florida. They are, however, susceptible to rotting during cold winters and to mealybugs in the warm season. Overall, Stapelias are better suited to life indoors.
In addition to Stapelia, other genera, including Caralluma, Huernia and Orbea, have similarly colorful flowers with a vile smell. Stapelias and kindred plants grow well in containers of potting soil formulated for succulents. Blending one part perlite to three parts of soil improves aeration and prevents compaction. Stapelias revel in sunlight, but I’ve seen them flowering in indirect light. They also prosper under lights especially designed for plant growth. Fertilize with a succulent-specific product such as Schultz Cactus Plus applied at half-strength several times between March and September. Propagate Stapelias from stem cuttings allowed to dry for two days before being stuck in slightly moist soil. Plants are available online. Seeds of some species are also available.
Charles Reynolds, a Winter Haven resident, has an associate’s degree in horticulture and is a member of Garden Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ballroom16@aol. com.