Hoodia currorii

Scientific Name

Hoodia currorii (Hook.) Decne.

Synonym(s)

Hoodia currorii var. currorii, Scytanthus currorii, Adenium namaquarium, Ceropegia currorii subsp. currorii

Scientific Classification

Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Genus: Hoodia

Description

Hoodia currorii is a succulent shrub with cylindrical spiny gray-green stems. The stems are erect, up to 32 inches (80 cm) tall, and up to 3.2 inches (8 cm) in diameter. They have 11 to 24 vertical ribs consisting of prominent obtuse tubercles, each tipped with a sharp, up to 0.4 inches (1 cm) long spine. The large flowers are rust-red covered in purple hairs, up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter, and appear in mid-summer.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

Stapeliads are relatively easy to grow. However, they should be treated as outdoor plants as they will easily rot indoors and cannot flower without exposure to outdoor temperature fluctuations. They should be grown under cover so that watering can be controlled. Stapeliads require a reasonable amount of sunlight to promote flowering and maintain a well-shaped plant. Very shady positions will produce very poor flowering.

These plants come from climates where they survive extremely high temperatures in the summer months, so most growth is in spring and fall, with flowering in fall when the weather starts to cool down. In the growing season, water in moderation when needed, making sure soil is fairly dried out between waterings. Do not water between late fall and early spring.

The easiest and best way to propagate Stapeliads is from stem cuttings which can be taken virtually throughout the year. Seed is also a method of propagation.

See more at How to Grow and Care for Stapeliads.

Origin

This species is native to Namibia and the Cape Province of South Africa.