Stapelia asterias

A South African carrion flower from karroid scrub, mainly in the Little Karoo and nearby areas of the Western and Eastern Cape. It has soft, finger-like stems and dark, star-shaped flowers. Give it bright light with some midday shade, warm summers, a cool and fairly dry winter, and a very fast-draining mineral mix.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in arid and semi-arid karroid scrub, usually rooted beneath or beside shrubs that shade its stems in part.

Only 4 records carry an elevation, from 54 to 800 m. The core range is mostly low to mid-elevation inland valleys.

Cape ProvincesNamibia

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Stapelia

Stapelia hirsuta Stapelia gigantea Stapelia grandiflora Stapelia leendertziae Stapelia flavopurpurea Stapelia pearsonii Stapelia acuminata Stapelia arenosa Stapelia cedrimontana Stapelia clavicorona Stapelia concinna Stapelia divaricata All 31 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.