O another cacti

[fred]

I just noticed this cacti in bud
I remember this one flowering for me last year and it smells like cat pee

I think it looks pretty good the way it has grown

[norris]

I used to have one like that... I miss it... and it's funky, gross smelling flower

[patticake]

I really love that plant, but ...cat pee???

[fred]

yeah Patti the flower really has a strong scent of cat wee not nice

[hulaorchid]

Oh Fred thanks for sharing! lol

[mitko]

NIce , i would like to see that stapelia / maybe huernia , not sure / when bud is open , flowers are really strange and beautiful .

[fred]

I will be keeping my eyes open for the bloom to show some pics
I am sure I will smell it as well

[katrina]

I love the looks of that one! What's the name? Stapelia...Huernia? Cat pee or not...I think I'll have to search for it.

Thanks for sharing and please do post a pic when the bloom opens.

[fred]

I am not sure of the name Kat
this one came from my parents house a few years ago my grand father loved it
so I grow it here now.

I will post pics of the bloom

[mitko]

Katerina, I think your cat won`t like no one member of stapeliads in bloom . But they are so beautiful when in bloom and have so disgusting smel at the same time . Here you can see some of them. You can`t have stapeliads and cat on the same place on the same time
Stapeliad Picture Gallery - Page.1

[fred]

here is a pic of the plant 12 months ago

[Hummer344]

Remind me not to get one of those. I get that smell when I clean the cat box everyday. LOL

[fred]

good one David

[katrina]

EWWWW....I didn't think about the issues it might cause w/my 3 kitties. These guys have their own bathroom (yes, they have a room of their own for the boxes) ....I would hate for them to start thinking my plant room is now a new bathroom. YUK!

Hmmmm....if it blooms in the summer...No problems. If in the winter...I'll have to rethink. Unless...I could put it in their kitty room during the winter...that is... if it's one of those that appreciates a cool rest in the winter. I have several plants that go in that room for cooling off.

Looks like I'll have to do a bit of research on this one.

Thanks for the link Mitko and thanks for the pic Fred!

[lmartiny]

I have one that blooms a yellow flower. In a post a few months ago someone had ID'd it as Orbea Samota. I didn't smell cat pee!

[lmartiny]

Fred, Did you blooms pop open yet?

[fred]

shhhhh its just gone 10 am and I am being lazy I have not been outside as yet I will have a look and post some pics

[mitko]

Yes, Imartiny, not every one stapeliad smels bads, only most ot them . But nevertheles , their flowers are one of the most beautiful and interesting . Fred , your stapeliad is seems to be stapelia variegata , but when the flowers open we can be more sure. I `m a member of one forum for cacti and succulents and will post your photo for recognising when the flower opens from the specialists .

[fred]

thanks for the info mitko
I had a look today and the bud has not opened as yet
I took another photo but I put the batteries on charge

[articuno75]

Is there a reason why these give off a nasty ammonia like smell? I'm just curious. I think they're fascinating, but the cat pee smell thing...... I don't think I'd get one.

[norris]

Jenny, these plants have evolved to be pollinated by flies and beetles, so instead of having a sweet, pleasant smell to attract bees and butterflies, they...well... smell like...

[Jirel]

I have a friend with 3 cats who likes cacti. I HAVE to find one of those for her. LOL!

[tizzycat]

The form of the plant is great Fred. Can't wait to see the pics when the flower opens.

Good job we don't have scratch and sniff on here.

[articuno75]

Originally Posted by norris

Jenny, these plants have evolved to be pollinated by flies and beetles, so instead of having a sweet, pleasant smell to attract bees and butterflies, they...well... smell like...

Ewww. I'm creeped out by bugs already. Pretty as it is I will definitely pass.

[fred]

I have some great news and some bad news
the great news is the flower bud has opened
please see attachments
now for the bad news ... boy does that flower stink .. awful smell

[patticake]

Beautiful!! What a cool bloom! I think I'll admire it from afar, though! I have 2 cats, and it's hard enough keeping up with the kittie litter!

[fred]

would you like a laugh Patti
I was stupid enough to sniff the flower as well
like I said I was stupid

[tizzycat]

Very striking and unusual flower. If I lived somewhere warmer and could keep one outside I would have one.

Fred you are a glutton for punishment, were you just making sure it smelled really bad??

[patticake]

Too funny! I wouldn't say stupid! Curious would be much nicer!

[mitko]

So beautiful flower , congratulations ! Fred , as i thought , the name of this beauty /nobody talks to its smell , haha / is stapelia variegata .

[LauraGR]

That flower must make up for the smell! It's beautiful! I had that succulent for a number of years but it never bloomed for me. I'm sure if I had it outside it would have bloomed, but since it was in a small indoor space it probably was good it didn't! I've smelled other succulents that your description fits very well.

[fred]

hehehe I was moving the plant around to take the close ups and I thought to myself
jee that is strong smell so I smelled the bloom and it almost blew me away

thanks for the name mitko I can jot that down on a tag now

hey Chris I wanted to make sure it was the flower and not me

[hulaorchid]

Yeah!! It bloomed! Beautiful flower!
I hope it was the flower smelling! lol

[fred]

me to Jacqui
my wife would kill me

[Tarad]

Oh my lol. that is one unusual catcus in very many ways and pretty cool too I hope it is not in your house smellin like cat pee ewwww. Tara

[norris]

Yes, that's the one I used to have. I think I'm going to look around to see if I can get another one

[fred]

can someone send me a mask peeeew I am going to need one
look what is in bud again

[patticake]

Oh, NO!!! It sure is a cool bloom, though!

[fred]

your right Patti
the bloom looks great I wont fall in the trap of smelling this one again

[benetay]

Thanks for sharing! Oh gosh a pretty flower but a bad smeller.

Why is everything blooming? Must be the person taking care of them. Great growing.

Cheers!

[hulaorchid]

Fred is that the same plant or another one??? PEE EWWW! but pretty flower!

[fred]

same plant Jacqui
this is the second flower bud and behind the second is a third as well

[hulaorchid]

Get your mask ready!! lol

[fred]

OK mask on
here is some pics for you

[dorothea]

cool looking flower, it reminds me of those sand worms from Dune (when they open their mouth)

[hulaorchid]

Fred, I think the smell is worth suffering for the bloom! it is so Beautiful!!!
I just might have to get one of these!!!
Maybe the smell will keep the kids and their ball away from my flowers!

[lmartiny]

It is a cool flower. I'd spied that little bud in your first bloom picture.

[fred]

good eyes lmartiny

Jacqui hehe get 2 of them you wont have to worry about much at all getting near your flowers.

lol I brought this one inside to show my wife "nice flower now get it out side" she said
she spoils all the fun lol

[dvespertilio]

I had a bunch of plants like these, all Huernias, and unfortunately they froze to death this past winter because I neglected to bring them in during some really nasty cold. This plant in your pictures is also called Orbea variegata. I'm in the process of obtaining seed for it and hope to grow a few. I've had very good luck in the past growing various Huernias, the seed looks like milkweed seed, germinates easily, and grows rapidly into nice plants. I think the Orbea variegata should be just as easy to grow as Huernias. The species is fairly common and hails from South Africa.

[dvespertilio]

Orbea variegata

[dvespertilio]

Stapeliads

[dvespertilio]

Asclepiaceae

[dvespertilio]

I'm trying to post a link for cool Orbea and other stapeliad flowers, but this site won't allow it until I've posted five times, it says. Hence the above posts.

[dvespertilio]

For nice pictures of Orbea variegata and other stapeliads, also see Martin Heigan's Stapeliads - Orbea

[fred]

nice pics
I will settle with the one the blooms are very nice
I will be the first one to say that the scent puts me right off

[hulaorchid]

OH! Thanks for the picts dvespertilio. They look like star fish!! lol

[fred]

I have taken more photos of the mother plant ( first two attachments ) it looks like it has seed pods

plus I have two attachments of a piece of the mother plant I struck some time ago and its a bit hard to see on the attachments but the plant is full if flower buds
boy am I going to be in trouble
good thing I can blame the cat

[hulaorchid]

Another stinker on the way!! LOL

[katrina]

Oh WOW! I had completely forgotten about this cactus. Toooo cool! I really, really want one but am so afraid it will bloom during it's inside time.

Does it ever bloom in the late fall or winter Fred?

It's gorgeous -- thanks for sharing!

[fred]

Kat I think with the size of the buds on the one I struck its about a month from blooming
we are now in the last month of summer here

hows the size of those pods on the mother plant ?
thats the first time I have ever seen that

[LouisW]

Cool flower Fred! Every time I see one of these for sale I get it because there are so many interesting flowers in Stapeliads, and I dont mind the stink!

Just to let everyone know, Stapeliads are not related to cacti, but are in the same family with milkweed, pachypodiums (madagascar palms), and Adeniums (desert roses). The family is called Apocynaceae.

To me they seem much faster and easier to grow than cacti.

[lmartiny]

That plant looks great Fred. Those big pods are interesting. Keep us posted. My original plant started to get to be a fairly decent size and then it got knocked off the shelf and broke into pieces.

[maiseymoo]

What a cool looking plant!! I think I will admire from afar don't fancy the smell!

[Olive Cook]

Originally Posted by maiseymoo

What a cool looking plant!! I think I will admire from afar don't fancy the smell!

You beat me to it!!

Fred,
The flowers are wonderful, and you take great pics
However, I think I deal with that smell enough with my aging cat and her accidents, lol

[fred]

hehehehe the mother plant has had one flower at a time bloom and that was peeeew
with the other plant there about 10 to 15 buds

I know I will post photos when they bloom but I had better have a mask on

I will keep you posted on the pods as well
they are really strange

hehehehe maybe its the plants tail

[LouisW]

I think I found an ID. I think it is likely Orbea varigata. It was the first of the genus to be cultivated and now is the most common.

[fred]

thanks for the name guys
there is a story behind this one it will always be known to me as opa's ( Grandfathers ) plant
years ago when my grandfather came out from Holland he loved this plant even the smell of the bloom

its good for me to keep the plant going

I am a softy that way
I have plants my grandfather liked
I have plants my father grew also plants my mother liked

the plants mean the world to me as granddad, mum and dad have passed away I keep the plants going for them.

I did say I was a softy

[Tarad]

Oh no nice unusual flower but here comes the pewie stinky again

[lmartiny]

Fred. Bless your heart. I'm the same way. And I learned a lot from my Mom and Grandma. Shells, birds, gardening. I've lost some plants from old along the way. And try to hang on to others. The wild violet for example.

[fred]

yeah your right there not long ago I thought that I would loose the mother plant
for some reason it has forgiven me and put up the seed pods

I have the mother plant in the first two attachments and the one I struck second two attachments plus I have two smaller ones from the mother plant that I have potted up

its a good feeling to see the plants going strong
my mom said to me not long before she passed away that I was was the spitting image of my father about that

a very nice thing to be told but I think my dad had a greener thumb than me
I guess I am a proud son

[Ladyofthelakes]

Hi Fred,

I am new to this forum.

My mother had one of these also. Same flower. I almost purchased one of these for nostalgia, instead I bought a Staplia flavopurpurea, no smell, and beautiful small Chartreuse with a purple center and star shaped.

Vivienne

[fred]

welcome to the forum
do you have a photo of the one you got
that woud be nice to see

[fred]

another update of this one for you all to see

[Ladyofthelakes]

Fred
Here is a page that shows my Stapelia;

Stapeliads - a set on Flickr

The plant that I have it the larger photo in the upper left of the page.

Vivienne

[Anton]

Ah, get yourself some Bublbos and you won't know the difference ........