General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Malodorous
Flower Color: Other: Yellow with reddish purple lines
Bloom Size: 6"-12"
Flower Time: Summer
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Other: Cuttings should be taken during the active growing stage to ensure good rooting before the plants enter their dormant phase. Depending on the size of the cutting, cuttings can flower in their first year. Stapelias grow easily from cuttings.
Pollinators: Flies
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil

Image
Common names
  • Starfish Plant
  • Carrion Flower
  • Toad Plant
  • Carrion Plant
  • Zulu Giant
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Ceropegia gigantea
  • Synonym: Stapelia gigantea

Photo Gallery
Location: Opp, AL  Z8b
Date: 2022-08-29
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-10-27
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-10-16
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-08-27
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Date: 2016-10-25
Location: Southwest Florida
Date: August 2013
Location: Kwajalein Marshall Islands
Date: 2000

Date: c. 1942
illustration from cover of the 1942 catalog, Johnson's Cactus Gar

Date: 2018-08-28
Photo by _Bleu_
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-10-04
Location: Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: 2016-11-12
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-10-07
Location: Houston, TX
Date: August 20, 2021
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 9-29-2018
how bizarre - 9 tentacles .... !
Location: South Bella Vista Drive, Tucson, AZ
Date: 2019-10-22
This African starfish flower snuck into our yard from our neighbo

Date: 2023-10-14
Location: Jakarta
Date: 2021-07-14
Location: Winter Springs, FL zone 9b
Date: 2022-07-22
Photo by Stush2019
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-10-09

Date: 2012-08-13
Entire plant with blooms opening.
  • Uploaded by pod

Date: 2023-10-14

Date: 2023-10-14
Location: South Bella Vista Drive, Tucson, AZ
Date: 2021-08-29
Flower with flies
Location: Florida
Date: 2022-09-16
Location: Jakarta
Date: 2022-04-10
These 2 plants were the same initially, left plant moved to a sha
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-10-08
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-10-16
First bloom of the season.
Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2017-09-11
Location: Loki Schmidt Garten - Botanischer Garten der Universität Hamburg
Date: 2022-09-13

Date: 2023-10-14
Location: San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio, Texas
Date: 2022-04-04
Location: Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix Arizona
Date: 2016-01-03
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-10-21
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2012-10-11
Flies are attracted to this plant and pollinate the flowers

Date: 2012-08-11
This photo is two large pots of Stapelia gigantea plants.
  • Uploaded by pod
Location: Bryan, Tx
Date: 2020-10-03
Location: Baja California

Date: 2023-10-14
Photo by SongofJoy
Location: South Bella Vista Drive, Tucson, AZ
Date: 2023-05-29
Each flower produces a pair of pods that split open to release fi
Location: Naples, FL
Date: 2016-10-11
At the Naples Zoo
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-07-08
Location: Southwest Florida
Date: fall 2011
Location: Ka'ena State Park Oahu Hawaii
Date: 2019-04-27
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2012-10-11
Photo by pinkiris
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-07-10
first bloom on it so far this year

Date: 2012-08-13
Single bloom
  • Uploaded by pod
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2012-06-05
Flower with pollinators.
Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2016-08-24
Location: Winter Springs, FL zone 9b
Date: 2017-10-24
My first flower, too two years.
Location: Central Texas
Date: 2013-10-23
Location: Austin ,TX
Date: 2016-09-22
From bud to bloom was over two weeks
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-09-21
Location: Opp, AL  Z8b
Date: 2022-08-29
Reverse of center of bloom and petal
Photo by GrammaChar

Date: 2012-08-11
  • Uploaded by pod
Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28

credit: Prenn
Location: Orangeburg, SC
Date: fall 2008
Location: My deck
Date: 2014-10-20
Location: Baja California
Date: 2017-01-01
Location: Naples, FL
Date: 2016-10-11
At the Naples Zoo
Location: National Botanical Garden (DC) | November 2022
Date: 2022-11-26
Location: San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio, Texas
Date: 2022-04-04
Location: 98108
Date: 2013-03-21
Location: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Date: April 6 2022
Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2017-06-01
Location: Youngsville, LA
Date: 2007-11-21
M3367S-4504  Full bloom
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-08-01
Photo by Thumbelina
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-08-22

Photo Courtesy of Cape seed and Bulb.
  • Uploaded by Joy

Date: 2011-11-05
Detail showing flower pattern and 'hair'
Location: National Botanical Garden (DC) | November 2022
Date: 2022-11-26
Location: San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
Location: Miami, FL
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2012-10-02
Location: Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2011-11-10
  • Uploaded by Joy
Photo by ljones26
Location: My deck
Date: 2014-10-12
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-03-17
Seedlings are nearly 2 weeks old
Location: Houston Museum of Natural Science
Date: 2017-11-21
Photo by Plantomaniac08
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2005-08-15
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: San Antonio, TX
Date: Oct 5, 2005 9:47 AM
Photo by Gothicgardener
Location: Port Orange, Florida
Date: 2012-08-22 
Splashed with sand after a lot of rain. Photo taken at Sugar Mill

Date: 2005-10-13
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-12-03
Newly planted

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
Photo by ljones26
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-02-28
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-02-28
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-03-05
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-03-05
A tray of stapelia seedlings
Location: Atlanta BG
Date: Aug 16
Photo by ljones26
Location: arcadia, florida
Date: 2013-08-21
Location: MOBOT -   St Louis
Date: 2013-02-27
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: late fall
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: late fall
  • Uploaded by Joy

From bud to bloom
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-03-04
Took 5 days to germinate
Location: Miami, FL
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 9/7/2011
Well rooted cuttings on their way to becoming mature plants
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by Baja_Costero (Baja California - Zone 11b) on Nov 2, 2022 7:53 PM concerning plant:
    Yellow flowered stapeliad with knobby green stems, which may change to brown or purplish brown when stressed. Not real easy to distinguish from the red-flowered Ceropegia grandiflora when not in bloom, but trivially easy once you see them flower.

    Flowers are huge (several inches across) and hairy inside, with purplish red broken lines. They smell like rotting flesh when they have just opened. They attract flies, which will lay eggs on them. They typically appear here in late summer and early fall, perhaps at other times in different climates. The flowers are pretty reliable even on plants growing in difficult situations (eg. drought, rocky terrain) where vegetative growth is limited.

    This plant tolerates up to day long sun in our mild climate. Though this kind of exposure may turn the stems brown or purplish brown, those color changes do not necessarily indicate any kind of ill health.

    A really well behaved container plant which will occupy a 10-12 inch pot at maturity, perhaps larger if you have the space. Beginner level, provided good drainage and strong light. An excellent subject for propagation from cuttings, but be prepared for a bit of a lag until they root and start growing.
  • Posted by Joy (Kalama, Wa. - Zone 8b) on Aug 20, 2012 8:49 PM concerning plant:
    Like Mums and other Fall blooming plants, this plant responds to the shortening daylight hours of the season by producing its buds. They don't like to be moved when they begin to set them. Any change in the angle that the sun strikes the plant may cause it to abort its buds and flowers.
  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Sep 18, 2011 12:42 PM concerning plant:
    These plants need a cool, dry rest period in winter and are best managed in pots. Protect plants where frost can occur. They can tolerate extreme heat.
Plant Events from our members
antsinmypants On May 14, 2022 Obtained plant
VerdantApt
antsinmypants On May 14, 2022 Transplanted
Into container.
antsinmypants On May 15, 2021 Obtained plant
Pepperlove
MySecretIslandGarden On October 18, 2022 Bloomed
Been blooming away with more buds still to come
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Excellent, illustrative picture by Dutchlady1 Oct 13, 2012 10:01 AM 1
How on Earth? by Blondmyk Oct 4, 2014 11:51 AM 2
did anyone happen to notice ... by pinkiris Sep 4, 2018 6:40 AM 1
ID question by Baja_Costero May 12, 2020 5:22 PM 0
ID question by Baja_Costero May 12, 2020 5:23 PM 0
ID question by Baja_Costero May 12, 2020 5:50 PM 1
9? by purpleinopp Aug 29, 2022 1:09 PM 0
This pic makes this plant make sense to me. by purpleinopp Nov 3, 2022 10:59 AM 5
ID question by Baja_Costero May 29, 2023 4:32 PM 0
ID question by Baja_Costero Nov 5, 2023 9:39 AM 0

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