Unusual Plants – Orbea variegata

Who would want to buy a plant when the flower smells like rotting meat?  Well, you would be surprised!  What if that plant had a beautiful and very unusual, almost alien flower?  

Orbea variegata

This plant is called Orbea variegata and is a member of the Stapeliad (Stapeliae) tribe.   They are sometimes commonly referred to as ‘carrion flowers’ and they emit the smell so that they can use flies as pollinators.  Not all of them use this method and some are more ‘aromatic’ than others which will instead attract beetles and other sorts of insects. Sometimes mistaken for cactus, they are in fact a succulent.  Many of the varieties can be rather tricky to grow however the lepida gives us no problems at all.  Joyfully, it is also one of the less pungent varieties, although we are lucky in that we have a big, airy greenhouse to keep them in. 

Close up

There are many glorious Stapeliads and I am adding to my collection this year.  The plants are naturally found in parts of Asia, southern and north-east Africa, as well as across the Arabian peninsula. 

I am very much a novice when it comes to these fascinating plants so for more information I highly recommend this site www.stapeliads.info For a look at the different plants and amazing starfish-like flowers click on the SI Database.