Species · genus Ceropegia · Apocynaceae
Carrion-Flower
Orbea variegata (L.) Haw.
Also known as: Starfish-cactus · Starfishplant · Toad-cactus · Toadplant
Cultivars of O. variegata
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under O. variegata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
Orbea variegata is a clump-forming succulent subshrub from the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where it grows in gritty, fast-draining ground under dry, bright conditions. Plant it in a sharply draining mineral mix and water deeply only once the soil has dried out completely, allowing the fleshy stems to approach dryness between waterings. It tolerates strong light, including some direct sun, but appreciates protection from the harshest midday rays, and it rots readily if kept wet.
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Bright, indirect
≈ every 28 days
Low — average room
10–30 °C
Very gritty succulent mix with excellent drainage
Root a callused stem cutting in dry, sandy mix
Weak succulent feed once or twice in the growing season
Moderate
Striking star-shaped, foul-scented flowers in late summer
Toxic to cats & dogs & humans
Apocynaceae frequently contain cardiac glycosides and irritant latex; treat as potentially harmful if ingested. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
No reference gallery yet
A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.
Add imagesSources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Carrion-Flower yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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