Say it: stuh-PEE-lee-uh. Common names: carrion flower, starfish flower. Succulents in the milkweed family, not cacti.
Where it grows
Mostly southern Africa, in dry, rocky scrub, often tucked under bushes.
Size and growth
Clumps of soft, four-angled, finger-like stems, velvety in some species, spreading into mats 6–12 inches across. Fast in warm weather, and every stem roots easily as a cutting.
Flowers
The reason to grow them: huge five-pointed stars, 2–12 inches across depending on species, in maroon, yellow or cream, often hairy or wrinkled like skin. They're pollinated by flies, so most smell faintly of rotten meat for a day or two — keep them outdoors when in bloom. Flowers come in late summer and fall on plants that are only a year or two old.
Care
- Light: bright light with some afternoon shade; they scorch in full desert sun.
- Water: regular in summer, nearly dry in winter.
- Soil: gritty, fast-draining, shallow pots.
- Cold: keep above about 45°F.
From cuttings
Let a stem dry for a few days, lay it on dry soil, and it roots in a couple of weeks. Our cutting pack gives five different species for a mixed flowering display.