Stapelia gigantea
Carrion Flower
If you are used to looking at the fairly nondescript succulent stems for most of the year, the flower when it arrives, starting with a blood red bud, opens up into an incredibly beautiful pale yellow flower. The fleshy flower itself seems too big for the small stems, and although it looks amazing, it smells terrible - unless you're a fly of course.
Its common name is Carrion Flower because of its use of its awful rotting flesh smell to attract insects - and particularly flies. The flies spread pollen from one flower to the next as the pollen sacs get stuck to them.
The stems are four-sided and are spineless, and are able to withstand extremes - from dry to relatively moist conditions. It can be planted in semi-shade, but will flower well in full sun. It would often be found in rocky, sandy soil, and even in rock crevasses, where its root benefits from the coolness of the stone. It's large flowers put on their show from summer to autumn.
They generally need a cool dry winter period, and can be cultivated very easily. Stapelia is definitely an easy plant to grow and look after - and is well worth finding a spot for it. But preferably where a breeze will dilute its odour!
6 comments:
great post! thanks for the tips
Have you ever used it in a design, eg near the unwanted neighbours? :-)
I've been an olfactory witness to the stench of which you write, a stench that nearly changed the prescription of my glasses. Pretty rank stuff. I like the idea of using it to annoy unkind neighbors, but that's just me fantasizing. Actually, I'd just pick up after my dog, light the bag on fire and toss it over the fence. That way there's no missing the point.
Well they do say good offences make good neighbours?
I thought this was a nice, pleasant little succulent until mine finally bloomed. I agree it's pretty awful in a good way...the delicate stench, the black buzzing flies that light on the blooms, the wild and otherworldly flowers... Definitely worth some space in the garden.
Thanks for the comment James...it surprised me too when the flower arrived.
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