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  • Close view of a Stapelia gigantea flower, a light yellow color star-shape with thin red lines wriggling across it, growing more dense like rings in the center. The flower is covered in fine hairs.
  • A large stapelia gigantea plant in bloom, with three flowers open and several large balloon-like buds.
  • A gigantea flower opening, with two points of the star splayed out and the rest still twirled in a spiral at the end.
  • A tape measure held up across an open gigantea flower, measuring over eight inches across
  • A hand holding up an unopened bud for scale, showing it is about as large across as the palm
  • An unopened bud and an opened one, with the opened one hyperextending its petals behind it.
  • A Stapelia gigantea plant with upright green stems that are a dark purple at the tip, and hook-like soft spines up each side. It has several unopened buds, which are inflated like lanterns and have long twisted ends.
  • Detail of the center of a gigantea flower, with dark maroon-red raised star-like center
  • Detail of a gigantea flower with light on the surface highlighting the petal texture is fleshy and the red lines on the petals are raised. The hairs are quite dense and about a quarter of an inch long
  • Detail of the center of a gigantea flower with a large fly and maggots
  • Detail of the center of the flower with several maggots on the surface.
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Stapelia gigantea

Stapelia gigantea

$7.00 USD
$7.00 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Size

Family Apocynaceae

Subfamily Asclepiadoideae

Tribe Ceropegieae

Genus Stapelia

Species gigantea

Common name(s) Carrion flower, giant star fish flower, Zulu giant

 

Stapelia gigantea is reputed to have the largest flower among succulents, with blooms that open wider than the average person's hand. The plant forms a balloon-like bud with a long twisted point, which peels open as a star-shape flower with long thin curled points. The petals typically stretch back behind the flower, pushing the dark maroon center forward.

Stapelia gigantea and grandiflora commonly hybridize, so you will see a lot of color and size variations for sale under the name 'gigantea.' A proper gigantea will have a large flower, though young plants can produce a few smaller "first pancake" flowers before hitting their stride.

Gigantea is pungent to match its stature, though the smell can be inconsistent. At its ripest, the flower smells like a dog has butt-scooched in crab meal. This is not really one you want to have blooming indoors—the smell will waft. Like other stapeliads it attracts flies which will leave maggots squirming in the center.

Options: The "parent" plant you will receive a cutting from is pictured. Options are a cutting measuring three inches minimum (rooted or unrooted).

 

Growth habit Upright, branching, will cascade over the side of pots
Size Upright stems can reach 8–10", it is happy to live in a small pot and hang over edges though stems may stay smaller.
Light Filtered sun, under a tree or shade cloth
Water Occasional water in growing season, allow to dry between waterings; leave dry over winter
Overwintering Tolerates 50°F, does best overwintering in a greenhouse
Flowers Blooms late summer and fall, can have a lighter bloom in the spring
Scent profile Deep fecal rot smell reminiscent of crab meal
Native to South Africa, Zambia
Conservation risk status Least Concern (LC)
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