Not a cactus but a succulent milkweed relative. Stapelia gigantea opens tan, hairy stars the size of a dinner plate; ‘Purple Starfish’ is smaller and darker. Easy, tough, and unforgettable in bloom.
Stapelias are grown for one moment: the late-summer or fall day when a bud the size of a balloon splits into a five-pointed star — in S. gigantea up to a foot across, pale tan and finely wrinkled with a fringe of silky hairs. The plant itself is a clump of four-angled, soft-spined green stems that spreads slowly and asks for almost nothing. The flowers smell like carrion for a day or two to attract the flies that pollinate them, which is worth knowing before you place the pot by the front door.
We commonly carry both: the giant S. gigantea and the smaller, darker-flowered S. mutabilis ‘Purple Starfish’. Morning sun, sharp drainage, and almost no winter water. The rest of the bench is on our Succulents page.
These are the starfish cactus varieties we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
Stapelia gigantea: velvety four-angled stems to eight inches and enormous pale-yellow, red-lined, hairy star flowers up to a foot across in late summer and fall. Sold; forms a wide clump in a few years.
Stapelia mutabilis ‘Purple Starfish’: a smaller clump with three- to four-inch stars in purple-brown with yellow and maroon banding. Same easy care, less smell.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
Outdoors, direct sun until late morning and bright shade for the afternoon from May through September; the stems scorch and turn red-brown in full July sun. In winter it can take sun most of the day. Indoors it needs a very bright window and rarely flowers — a covered east-facing patio is the best spot in Queen Creek.
Cover or move under a roof when nights drop below about 30°F; a hard frost turns the stems to mush. A covered patio against the house is usually enough protection in Queen Creek. Keep it dry when it is cold.
Shallow, wide pots suit the spreading clump. Gritty mix, repotted every two to three years in spring. A low-nitrogen succulent fertilizer at half strength once in spring is plenty; over-fed plants grow soft and flower less.
Water when the mix is dry through, every ten to fourteen days in summer, and almost never from November to February — once a month at most. Soak, then drain completely. Stapelias rot from the base in wet soil faster than almost any succulent; a gritty cactus mix with extra pumice in a pot with a large drainage hole. After a monsoon storm, tip the saucer.
Buds form in late summer on stems that have had a season of sun and a dry rest. The flowers last a few days each and open in succession over several weeks. The smell is strongest on the first day and only up close; site the pot where you can enjoy the sight without the scent — and expect flies, which are the pollinators.
Non-toxic. Mealybugs nest between the stems at the base — check the crown and swab with rubbing alcohol. Root mealybugs are possible in a plant that stays wet; repot into fresh dry mix if it declines without visible cause.
Stretching, mushy stems, a sunburned side — snap a photo of the plant and where it lives and we’ll sort it out at the bench. Advice is free.
Succulents live or die on drainage. We stock cactus and succulent mix, pumice and grit to open it up further, slow-release low-nitrogen fertilizer, and the shallow terracotta and glazed pots that dry out the way they like. The pottery yard has bowls, strawberry jars and hanging baskets for the trailing types.
Stapelias are pollinated by flies, so the flowers mimic carrion for the first day or two. The smell is only noticeable close up. Place the pot a few feet from where you sit.
No — it is a stem succulent in the milkweed family. The care is cactus-like, though: gritty soil, morning sun, and very little water in winter.
Every ten to fourteen days in summer once the soil is fully dry, and once a month or less from November through February. Rot from overwatering is the main way it dies.
On a covered patio with morning sun, yes, with cover on nights below about 30°F and shade from afternoon sun in summer.
Yes, non-toxic — and the soft spines are harmless.
Late summer into fall, from buds that form after a season of sun and a dry winter rest. Each flower lasts a few days; a clump produces several in succession.
Starfish Cactus live on the succulent bench; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.