I got this as a small cutting from my pottery teacher. I planted it about a year and a half ago and this season it has been absolutely covered in these amazing flowers. It has obviously found its happy place and has doubled in size in the last six months or so.
I have no idea what is it and I’m hoping it is indigenous. Do you have any clue?
Hey Sons. Its definitely part of the Asclepiadaceae family (Milkweeds). If I go through photographs in my succulent book, it looks like the genus Huernia, most of which are from South Africa.
Does it have a five-pointed flower?
it looks pretty creepy to me. like something you’d see lurking in an underwater cave and pull your hand away quickly.
Do a google search for Stapelia Orbea …. I have one in my garden and it looks pretty much the same
I have to agree with Niall on this. I think it is from the Asclepiadaceae family. Huernia Zebrina to be fairly precise. Stapelia Orbea is also from the same family. I found some North American sites calling ‘my’ Huernia (hew-ern-ee-uh) the ‘lifesaver’ plant (because of the round ‘doughnut’ part of the flower. Definitely indigenous though so that’s good news. Nice to solve life’s little mysteries.
Not too clued up on indigenous but would like to get more knowledgeable – have got some indigenous plants in my garden but apart from “Clivias” (sure not formal name) and I don’t know what the other plants are. Have a Cape Honeysuckle (don’t know the formal name) and in a few months since planting has really done well. Need to get myself a good book on the subject or send you guys photos for your input. The site is great and will be a great help and introduce us plebs to the field of indigenous planting and plants. Thanks
Kathy Tedeschi
It’s definitely a Stapelia. Which one I don’t know but should be indigenous.