Orbea variegata
A South African leafless Apocynaceae succulent that forms dense mats and bears star-shaped, mottled flowers with a carrion-like scent to attract pollinators.
Common Names
Starfish Cactus, Carrion Flower, Toad Cactus, Starfish Flower, Carrion Cactus, Starfish Plant, Star Flower, Aasblom, Carrion Plant
Summary
Starfish plant is a leafless succulent in the Apocynaceae native to the coastal regions of South Africa. It forms sprawling mats up to about 1 m across. Stems are slender, four-angled, green with purple blotches, growing erect or prostrate into dense clumps. Star-shaped flowers 5–7 cm across appear on young growth in late summer to fall, cream or yellow with brown-purple spots and a carrion scent that attracts pollinators. The plant is distinct from cacti and features a low-growing, spreading habit with distinctive starfish-like blooms.
Culture favors gritty, well-drained soil with a pH of 7.5–8.5, exposure from light shade to full sun, and sparing watering. It is drought-tolerant and winter-dormant, with a resting period during winter and regular watering during the growing season. It is hardy in USDA zones 9a–11b. Propagation is by cuttings or seeds. It is commonly used as groundcover, in rock gardens, patios, or containers, and is suitable for indoor cultivation in temperate zones.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-10 inches
Spread
10-20 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 9a-11b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Gritty, well-drained soil with a mildly alkaline pH around 7.5–8.5
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
7.5-8.5 (mildly alkaline)
Bloom Color
Cream to greenish-yellow
Bloom Time
Summer and Fall
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Flies (pollinators)
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Haw.
- Publication
- Syn. Pl. Succ. : 40 (1812)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Orbea
Synonyms
Orbea inodora Orbea trisulca Orbea quinquenervia Podanthes lepida Stapelia limosa Stapelia natalensis Stapelia ophiuncula Stapelia hispida Stapelia horizontalis Stapelia tigrina Stapelia putida Stapelia scutellata Stapelia rosea Stapelia rufescens Stapelia bidentata Stapelia bufonis Stapelia atrata Stapelia monstrosa Orbea bisulca Orbea bufonia Orbea clypeata Orbea curtisii Orbea lepida Orbea mixta Orbea picta Orbea retusa Stapelia atropurpurea Stapelia clypeata Stapelia conspurcata Stapelia inodora Stapelia lepida Stapelia marmorata Stapelia mixta Stapelia normalis Stapelia orbicularis Stapelia planiflora Stapelia quinquenervis Stapelia rugosa Stapelia variegata Stapelia variegata var. brevicornis Stapelia orbiculata Stapelia bifolia Stapelia beffoniana Orbea anguinea Orbea orbicularis Orbea woodfordiana Stapelia anguinea Stapelia bufonia Stapelia curtisii Stapelia marginata Stapelia obliqua Stapelia picta Stapelia retusa Stissera variegata