Hoodia pilifera

Scientific Name

Hoodia pilifera (L.f.) Plowes

Synonym(s)

Stapelia pilifera, Piaranthus pilifer, Trichocaulon piliferum, Stisseria pilifera, Ceropegia pilifera

Scientific Classification

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

Description

Hoodia pilifera is a succulent shrub with erect greyish-green to brown-green stems with tubercles fused below the middle into 20 to 34 angles along the stem, each tipped with a stiff grey to brown spine. The stems are up to 32 inches (80 cm) tall and 2.4 inches (6 cm) in diameter. Flowers are pinkish-brown, dark purple to almost black inside, reddish-green outside, and appear in summer.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zones 11a to 11b: from 40 °F (+4.4 °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. However, Stapeliads can also be propagated by seeds.

Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Stapeliads.

Origin

This species is native to South Africa (Eastern Cape, Western Cape).

Photo Gallery

Click on a photo to see a larger version.