Starfish Flower

Starfish flowers really want to let you know when they are around.

Starfish flowers are a species of succulent, rather than a cactus, and they are flowering perennial plants, native to South Africa.
‘Starfish flowers’ are also known as ‘giant toad plants’, ‘carrion plants’, ‘carrion flowers’, ‘giant zulus, and ‘starfish cacti’.
The scientific name of the starfish flower is Stapelia grandiflora and it is from the family Apocynaceae, the family of dogbanes, and is in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae.
Starfish flower plants produce large flowers with five petals, mostly in summer months, and the flowers resemble a starfish and grow to be 5 to 15 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) in diameter.
The blooms of starfish flowers tend to be purple, red, or brown in colour, sometimes with a tinge of orange, and they are covered with hairs that are coloured white, purple and/or red.

Starfish flowers generally release a stench that is likened to that of a dead animal, intended to attract insects such as flies to pollinate the flowers.
Warm climates are best for growing starfish flowers, and they prefer sunny to partly shady conditions.
Starfish flower plants are often used for ornamental purposes, however they can also be used to attract irritating insects away from living areas.
The green vegetation of starfish flower plants is multi-stemmed, and typically grows to 10 cm (4 inches) tall, while the plant can grow to a diameter of 50 cm (20 inches).
The centre of starfish flowers can be a breeding site for insects, such as flies, where their eggs are sometimes deposited.