That's amazing, well worth the wait! Are the flies the main pollinators? Does that mean there will be seeds? :)

Actually I have heard that flies think it is rotting meat, and lay their eggs on the flowers. So we shall see whether I get seeds, or maggots!

Knowing my luck, I will say maggots...

Is it just me or does this thread remind anyone of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? LOL!

Beautiful!! Even the blowfly is a pretty green.

(As a kid I used to have nightmares about maggots. Don't know why, but I remember the bad dreams!)

it has a horrifying beauty.

I was walking down a country road a while ago and saw a cat shaped maggot-pile, writhing like an entirely different entity all together and altogether.

Geez! That's one heck of a flower! Good growing Chris!

That flower is amazing, it actually looks like it has feathers.

Quite hirsute indeed.

Christopher

Checked on this tonight just before dark, the flower is still open, and the flies were gone. But there was a new visitor...

That's an interesting development.

That is not what i expected to see. Unless the arachnid predator is anticipating a visitor of its own?

im waiting for a update any seeds?

Shawneerie:

keep your hat on, we've got quite some time before we know that, but I'm pretty sure Christopher will keep us apprised.

Flies and spiders - good spider!

ok well i want it to open!!

I hope that opportunistic spider gives the flies long enough to lay eggs for maggots that eventually die and add some nutrients to the plants diet. The flower is carnivorous.

i mean have seeds

no results?... ok

Omg so beautiful!!!!! I know someone who grew this years ago, had no idea what is was, and when it produced its stinky flower he threw it away!!! I was in a quiet rage over it, lol

Rhamel

this is so cool! thank you for sharing!

Interesting developments...photos coming.

Christopher

I was away for two days. Now the flower has closed, unfortunately. But I don't know if it will develop a seedpod as of yet.

On Saturday, just before I left, I took a few more photos.

As I suspected, the flies on the flower were doing more than admiring it. They were actually laying eggs, thinking it was rotting flesh. Look carefully.

One even left a leg behind when she tried to fly away. Veery interesting.

Christopher.

Gross. Actually feel bad for the babies ;(

cool i hope it eats the babies

-Blake

Chris, The flower will fall off shortly. The base will thicken and elongate to about 3 to 4 inches. When fully brown, then it will split open with fuzzy white winged brown seeds. Sort of like dandelions. Clean and let dry out some and them plant them up.

Kathi was so nice to send me some seeds. Try as I did, I just had no luck, not even one. Strange as it sounds but seeds before this and after was all with no luck. I was very good and lucky at growing Stapelia and Huernia. I got about 50 two year olds waiting for a bloom to see what they are.

The flower shrivelled up today, and I gently removed it and put aside. Interesting to see if the fly eggs hatch. Can't tell yet if I will have a seedpod...

Christopher

It would be nice if Houzz staff could remove the tiny accidentally and magnetically click able link that quickly unsubscribes you all swift like a ninja in the night.

I'm sad I missed all the developments and came over here to ask Christopher for an update. Glad to see its already here.

the fly losing its leg may indicate that successful pollination took place, but unless you have a similar plant flowering nearby, I don't think a flower can fertilize itself but I could be mistaken about that detail. The trapping of the leg or mouth parts and then the ensuing struggle is like the prelude to beginning pollination.

Christopher,

From what I was told, no the fly eggs don't hatch. No real food for them to live off of. Plant completely fools the fly. Hope you get seeds.

Stush

Stan,sorry none of those seeds took,we'll try again when mine blooms again.That one i got from you that i thought was deader than a doornail,finally took off and is growing quite well,no sign of a flower yet though.The one i sent you the seeds from has grown quite a bit also and should flower,hopefully soon.

Kathi

If it does develop a seed pod can you post pictures? I have a couple similar plants that have been blooming like crazy and I would have no idea if I was able to get seeds from them or not.

I will see if a seedpod develops. The flower stem is still nice and thick, so that is a good sign...I don't know if I needed another stapeliad flower in bloom at the same time for pollination. In my area, I think mine is the only one around. There is another flower bud slowly growing, so I think I will get another show in several days.

Christopher

suivezmoi,

And what? no pictures? We love pictures here. I got some nice Stapelias but the Huernias are nice also but has much smaller flowers.

no flys, no seeds.

With stems like these, who needs flowers. That broken stem has roots all along the side.

With age comes shaky hands.

First bloom. Next time I expect the plant to be loaded with them.

This plant kept blooming even when I brought it indoors. Them after growing so great, roots rotted and plant died. Couldn't save any part of it. Really got me mad as h*#l. Can't figure some things out.

Stush

Those look amazing! Here are the two I have

This is the third time they've bloomed in the last two months, but the first time the one on the left has had two blooms.

Sometimes I only focus on the plants I have that are having a hard time, and forget that I'm actually doing well with some

Suivezmoi, You have the two that I have a lot of trouble with. Bikerdoc gave me a couple nice Huernia zebrina which I just barly keep alive. And the other one is Huernia schnideriana. I had that one for about two years and then rotted. Winter time is my killing time.

Stush

Hey Stush, thanks for taking over the thread. ;) Have to admit, you have some nice plants.

Christopher

late to this amazing thread - thanks to OP and everyone else for all the great pics - very interesting plants, completely new to me

re: photo of cleaned seeds, they look a lot like those from milkweed - is this cool plant in that family?

PS if those of you up-thread are not joking, would you have any references on blooms being "carnivorous"? Really doesn't appear to fit the profile in any way (but will admit the unopened bloom in the first pic might be reminiscent of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors :)

jy20thcent_5a, No these guys are not carnivorous. They sure do look the part. And the milk weed is in the same family Asclepiads as well as Hoyas.

Chris, Sorry for that take over. I didn't want to start another post with the same idea.

Stush

Thanks for the inside info Stush.

Besides the looks, wonder if the in-person texture of the petals are flesh-like, and the hairs fur-like.

-Jim

Sigh, unless and until I come across one of these babies in person, guess I'll just have to sniff one of those backyard-bag-type fly-trap lures for a whiff of the rotting flesh experience :)

The 'hair' on mine did actually feel like fur. The smell of the bloom does indeed smell like rotting meat, but varies in intensity from species to species, I believe. Mine, Stapelia gettleffii was indeed odouriferous but not to the extreme, at least to my nose.

Christopher

Finally another flower opened today. Took the plant inside now.

Christopher

How wonderful. You had inspired me to finally get one of these and I picked one up a few weeks back.

-Erica

Christopher

Stinky or not, it is a beautiful flower. The color, the size and the fuzziness are all so different from many succulents. Great to have something so showy.

Rina

Thanks Erica and Rina.

Yes, these Stapelias are something special, in my book. A bit cactus like, but different. Very tactile, also, very pleasant to the touch. And the flowers are icing on the cake. BTW, mine are not so stinky.

Christopher

Still popping, two months later...

Christopher

How exciting! These are some of my favorite flowers. Have they produced any seed for you yet?

Christopher

Great shot of your plant from above! Really nice blooms. How many flowers did it have opened so far?

Rina

Really nice effect on the pix. Thanks.

tj