Toad, Starfish or Carrion Plant
No Matter What You Call It, This Unusual Succulent Flower Stinks!
Oct 15, 2008
The Carrion plant (stapelia gigantea), also known as the Starfish plant, Toad Plant, or Zulu Plant, is a member of the Milkweed family, Asclepiadaceae. It grows low as an upright succulent with no spines. It is related to the Hoya, Hoodia, and other lesser-known but no less interesting species.
In the fall, buds resembling giant candy kisses or Japanese lanterns begin to emerge on separate stems around the base of the main plant stem, growing larger and larger. The actual fully-opened flowers may measure eight to ten inches or more in diameter. The five flower lobes thin to points and string-like "tails" extend from each on some varieties. Colors vary in shades of eggshell to pink, and many have red or maroon-colored patterns.
It is not only the size of the fleshy flowers covered with fine hairs that distinguishes them, but also the odor they produce. Some have compared it to the smell of decomposing meat - hence, the tag "carrion." Grown outside, the smell is not usually bothersome unless the weather is very hot, but those who choose to grow Carrion inside in order to view the large flowers more closely (and those who stick their noses too close to a flower) may be reminded of its presence as soon as the buds open. Fortunately, the odor lasts only about a day. As repelling as the odor may be to humans, it is attractive to flies and it is in this manner that the flowers are pollinated.
Cuttings are easy to grow and should be taken from the plant in the spring. Garden specimens need full sun in mild climates, but should be maintained with partial/filtered sun and shade in desert areas of the U.S. Use moderate water while flowering; their growing season is usually in fall and winter. Separating and re-rooting the stems is beneficial as older stems seem to rot after several seasons of blooming. The re-rooting or re-potting should be done during the period of rest - for most varieties in the spring. Allow the stems to dry out before potting them in dry dirt; do not overwater as this promotes rotting and disease. Water sparingly until the cutting "takes hold."
Cultivating these plants from seeds is more time-consuming and difficult. The seeds have a tuft of hair on one end which assists with their dispersal by wind or other disturbances outside. Stapelia gigantea seeds develop slowly - sometimes requiring up to a year to reach full maturity. Indoors, germination is rapid once they are planted in a well-drained, sandy soil. Seedlings grown successfully will flower after two to three years' growth.
Collectors enjoy photographing and growing the wide variety of stapeliads, which like most succulents in the U.S., grow well in rock and cactus gardens.
A beautiful collection of stapeliad photos by Martin Heigan is available here.
