How to Grow and Care for Starfish Flower Cactus

26.10.2023 - 16:17 / gardenerspath.com / Kristina HicksHamblin

How to Grow and Care for Starfish Flower Cactus Stapelia grandiflora

Plants feed us and provide us with fresh air to breathe. They beautify our landscapes, and brighten up our homes.

And when we grow houseplants like starfish flower – they provide us with a source of fascination and curiosity!

If you’re thinking of growing a starfish flower or have already introduced one into your home, congratulations!

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And welcome to the discerning club of folks who are willing to put up with stinky flowers in the name of gorgeous blooms.

We’re going to cover everything you’ll need to know to care for your succulent plant.

Here’s a sneak peek at what we’re going to discuss:

Starfish flower, Stapelia grandiflora, is a leafless succulent with upright or ascending stems that are about half an inch to one inch wide. Plants form clumps of stems that can have a 20 inch spread.

Individual stems can reach up to 12 inches tall and are pale green to reddish, depending on sun exposure.

The stems of this succulent have four angles, and these are punctuated with “tubercles,” small protuberances that make the plant look like a spined cactus – although these plants are not prickly in the least!

Produced from late summer to fall and born at the base of the plant, flower buds grow to look like inflated balloons, then open to reveal star shaped flowers, each with five long petals.

These blooms reach six inches wide and are a reddish-brown to purple color. The centers of the flowers are covered with long purple hairs while the petals are covered with long white hairs that are almost fur-like.

The surface of the