Stapelia in your house

Posted under Succulents by ruola

Water: heavy from spring to autumn, moderate in spring

Light: bright scattered, maybe direct in winter

Temperature:  ~25° in spring to autumn, ~15° during dormant period

Blooming: in summer

This plant appeared in my house long time ago though it started to bloom only about 3 years ago. Before my Stapelia found itself on the north window and probably that was the reason why it didn’t want to bloom. Everything changed when i put it on the east window — the plant started to grow better and to give numerous flowers about 100-150mm in diameter in summer. Most species of Stapelia are known to have unpleasant smell but the type i have (Stapelis gigantea) has no strong and distinct smell so it never troubled me. At the same time i admire the beauty of its flowers — they are pleasant to touch and the color is quite deep so it can be a nice decoration of the house.

It is recommended to replant Stapelia every 2-3 years. During replanting remove the old stems in the center because they won’t bloom any more. Take one part of sand and 2 parts of humus to provide best conditions for the plant. Wait for one week before to start watering. This will prevent roots against rot.

The best time for propagating is a period of growth which ensures that the plant will enroot well. The easiest way is to cut a stem, put it into the water and wait till the roots will grow out and after that put it into the pot with appropriete soil. It will take about a year or maybe year and a half before the new grown Stapelia will start blooming.

For my Stapelia i chose neighbours among other succulents such as Kalanchoe and Crassula. All these plants are placed in alike ceramic pots so they delight my eyes even in winter by unusual elegant shapes.