Stapelia glanduliflora is a succulent plant with fleshy, erect, four-angled stems that bear rows of tubercles. It usually grows in small clumps. Stems are up to 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) in diameter and covered in minute soft hairs. Each tubercle bears a tiny, rudimentary leaf. Flowers are pale greenish-yellow with fine purplish marks, densely covered in stiff, white, club-shaped hairs, particularly towards the center and edges. Each flower is up to 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) across, composed of 5 outer lobes and 5 short inner lobes, yellowish and margined with red-brown. Several species are fairly easy to grow. Others, often...
Stapelia glanduliflora is a succulent plant with fleshy, erect, four-angled stems that bear rows of tubercles. It usually grows in small clumps. Stems are up to 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) in diameter and covered in minute soft hairs. Each tubercle bears a tiny, rudimentary leaf. Flowers are pale greenish-yellow with fine purplish marks, densely covered in stiff, white, club-shaped hairs, particularly towards the center and edges. Each flower is up to 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) across, composed of 5 outer lobes and 5 short inner lobes, yellowish and margined with red-brown.
Several species are fairly easy to grow. Others, often those with slightly hairy stems and the more unusual flowers, are more challenging and require careful watering (with some fertilizer) during the growing season and complete withdrawal of water during the winter months. A minimum winter temperature of 10°C (50°F) is acceptable, providing that plants are kept dry. A heated growing bench or incubator may help delicate plants to get through the colder months. However, many species live under shrubs in their habitat and prefer light shade rather than full sun.
A gritty compost is essential, and clay pots are advisable for the more delicate species. Some growers prefer mineral-only compost to minimize the chance of a fungal attack on the roots. A layer of grit on the surface of the compost prevents moisture from accumulating around the base of the stems.
Keeping Stapelias and their roots free of pests such as mealybugs is the real key to success as fungal attack often occurs due to damage to stems by insects.
