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grant_in_arizona

Stinky six-pointed stapelias

grant_in_arizona
13 years ago

Hi everyone,

These are nothing too fancy, I know, but they're fun and blooming so I thought I'd share.

I grow a lot of stapelias in the ground (and lots of their stapeliad relatives in pots...Huernia...Orbea...Hoodia...etc) and these were blooming this week so I thought I'd post a few pics. They normally produce five pointed blooms but this week two different plants produced some six-pointed blooms (tennis ball to show relative size):

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For folks who aren't familiar with stapelias, they evolved in locations without pollinating bees so they look and resemble rotting meat to attract flies to pollinate the blooms. I think they are otherworldly and fun, and the scent isn't bad unless you get your nose within a foot or two of the blooms. I'm glad I can grow them outside year round, especially during their bloom season (late spring and late summer).

They're easy from cuttings and from seed (I have a few pots full of seedlings from the dark flowered plant above that I'll be planting outside now that things are somewhat cooling off).

I hope you'll take a look and enjoy. If you're growing stinkers indoors or out, let us see/hear alllll about them.

Take care,

Grant

Comments (4)

  • turtleman49
    13 years ago

    Grant;
    I've really enjoyed the ones you sent me a few years ago. I've propagated them several times and am ready to do it again if I can ever get the help, I think I'll have over 2000 of them by now...

  • lazy_gardens
    13 years ago

    I really like the burgundy one.

  • grant_in_arizona
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for looking/commenting! Turtle, I sure hope you post some pics of your babies, they sound impressive!

    Lazy, if you want seeds or a cutting just send me a private email, I'm happy to share.

    Take care and thanks again,
    Grant

  • grant_in_arizona
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    This is a stapeliad (in the stapelia family) rather than a stapelia. It's Huernia procumbens and it is blooming this week so I thought I'd toss in a pic. The flower is much smaller than the stapelias pictured above, probably the size of a US quarter or maybe a US fifty-cent piece.

    {{gwi:418475}}

    I hope you enjoy.
    Take care,
    Grant

    Here is a link that might be useful: Huernia procumbens bloom

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