Charleville Gardens: Growing Stapelia gigantea

Growing Stapelia gigantea

Native to the more arid regions of eastern South Africa, and in the plant family Apocynaceae, Stapelia gigantea makes a great addition to anyone’s succulent collection. The group is referred to as Stapeliads and there are many other plants within this group that are well worth exploring. The plant consists of fleshy, pubescent stems that are segmented into sections about 6” to 8” long, to 1” in diameter, with four ribs running the length of each concave-sided stems. At intervals along the length of the ribs, there are nodes with small, soft spine-like protuberances. The stems typically start out green, sometimes turning purple (particularly in chilly weather) then fade to a silvery-tan as the stems age.

Stapelia gigantea also called starfish flower, carrion flower or giant Stapelia are really grown for the large 5-pointed star-shaped flower. The flowers can be up to 14” in diameter once opened. They are tan-colored with red streaks across the petals and down into the throat, and have the lovely fragrance of my neighbor’s trashcans on a hot summer’s day. I will say though that you really need to get close to the flowers to fully appreciate the smell, unless of course you are in an enclosed space like a small greenhouse or enclosed patio. As it turns out, flies are the pollinators. All kidding aside, the massive flowers are spectacular!

Here in Westminster, California (Sunset Zone 22 and USDA Zone 11a) I keep my Stapelia gigantea outdoors in part shade or bright-filtered light under a lattice cover. Although really cold temperatures are rare here, I’ve never really had problems in the few below-freezing nights we do have; probably because mine are protected under that lattice cover. That probably keeps them a bit more protected. The plants do go into a sort of dormancy in the winter months. What often happens at that time is that the stems change to that silvery-tan. The following season new growth often appears from the bottoms of the stems as well as from the tops of the stems.

Watering and Fertilizing

I usually water when I remember. In other words do not over water these plants. I find they are often best kept on the dry side. Stapelia are relatively slow growing plants. They show growth spurts in the spring and early summer when they come out of their dormancy. More water won’t make them grow any faster so be careful on that count and be patient.

Propagation

I’ve had a large Stapelia gigantea in a terra cotta pot for over 20 years. Occasionally a stem breaks off, or I will cut off lower-hanging stems and root those. After a couple of days of letting the stems callus, I’ll pot the cuttings up into a coarse, fast draining mix that I typically make for myself.

Potting Mix

I usually keep these in a really coarse potting soil mix. I use the coarsest, roughest potting soil I can find. They’re often the least expensive, and there are still small bits of wood in the mix. If you can’t find anything like that a cactus and succulent mix works as a good point of departure as well. Then I’ll add plain old brown builder’s sand from the home centers and some Perlite as well. I will usually add orchid mix with small or fine bark too. You can also use small pumice or small cracked gravel—anything that helps hold some moisture but still drains the bulk of the moisture away quickly. I don’t what the plants sitting in a damp and particularly water-logged soil mix.

Thanks for lookin’!

Ron

Stapelia gigantea flower