Stapelia rufa

A small clump-forming carrion-flower from the Little Karoo and adjacent dry Western Cape, with reddish-brown starfish flowers. It grows in hot, bright, arid scrub with modest rain spread through the year, usually tucked beneath shrubs.

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 succulent Karoo scrub on stony flats and slopes, often in the partial shade of nurse shrubs, as most Stapelia do.

Climate sites span about 260–1,230 m; record elevations are not available.

Cape Provinces

🔒 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 asterias Stapelia cedrimontana Stapelia clavicorona Stapelia concinna 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 4.0 licence, unmodified.