Some of My Favorite Xeriscape Plants Are Real Stinkers

I love stapeliads, especially Stapelia gigantea. Some people say the blooms emit a terrible odor. Others say they can't smell them at all.

Starfish Plant (Ceropegia gigantea) is a clump-forming succulent with thick, erect green stems. In summer, it blooms with red and yellow flowers that can reach up to 14 inches in diameter. The flowers have a wrinkled appearance and are fringed with hairs. In order to attract the flies that pollinate them, they emit a smell similar to rotting meat. The plant is commonly referred to as the carrion plant due to this odor. Stapelia gigantea sometimes goes by the synonyms Stapelia nobilis or Stapelia marlothii.

The plant requires a minimum temperature of 52° F and plenty of sun. Well-draining pots are essential because root rot can occur fairly easily. Stapeliads are usually grown as houseplants in temperate zones, where they overwinter indoors. The plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.