Now this is a plant that really grabs your attention when visiting the uMkhuze Game Reserve in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, especially if you have a chance to walk the grounds of the Mantuma Rest Camp where we stayed for 4 nights in March this year.
Stapelia gigantea
The Giant Carrion Flower is notable not only for the smell of its flowers, which really does smell like rotting meat (especially on a hot afternoon!), but also because it boasts the biggest flowers – up to 40cm across! – of any South African plant. These flowers can be borne at any time of year, though mainly in late summer and early autumn. Their succulent, green stems are small by comparison, growing around 25cm tall only. Probably not surprising, the flowers are pollinated by flies, and so convincing is the smell that flies often lie their eggs on the flower! The seedpod that develops from pollinated flowers carries lots of plumed seeds that are dispersed by the wind, but they can also be propagated vegetatively as the stems will easily re-root. Giant Carrion Flowers grow best in dry, hot areas and rocky outcrops.
Giant Carrion Flowers occur naturally in all the countries of Southern Africa (Angola, Zambia and Malawi southwards) and in all South Africa’s provinces. It is considered to be of least concern, but some wild populations are declining due to extensive collection for ornamental and medicinal use. In traditional medicine these plants are used to treat pain, constipation and bruising, and also as a magic charm against evil and lightning. They are popular and easy to keep in the garden or in pots, especially as it requires very little water.
Giant Carrion flowers in Mantuma Camp
de Wets Wild 
Cool looking flowers, Marilize! Glad I don’t have to smell them. 😉
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It’s amazing to think that a flower could smell that way!
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Such an interesting plant. Your close-up shots really do convey their rather otherworldly almost alien character.
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This truly is a plant that grabs the attention, Carol. Its colours, textures, smell all combine into a fascinating wonder!
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Oh these flowers are unique to me. I love that you featured them 😀
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It really is our pleasure sharing this fascinating plant with you all, Cee. Thank you!
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Ek het hulle beslis nog nie gesien nie. Dis eintlik nogal mooi … totdat ek gelees het hoe dit ruik 😬.
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Soos jy sien kon ek dit darem naby genoeg waag vir n paar foto’s, Corna. Die reuk, hoewel onmiskenbaar die van vrot vleis, is darem nie oorweldigend nie.
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Dit is baie groot! Ek het hulle nie daar in die park gesien nie, was ook rerig nooit gedurende die somer maande daar nie! net te wrm vir my! Ons het van hulle hier in ons omgewing ook, maar beslis nie so groot nie!
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Die Stapelias is n besonderse familie en ek het lus om bietjie by ons groot plantparke hier te gaan kyk of hulle die en ander soorte aanhou.
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Sal interessant wees
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I would prefer my garden flowers to smell of roses! Interesting plant.
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Seeing as he had only high praise for roses I suppose had he known about these flowers Shakespeare might have ascribed the something rotten in Denmark to them… 🙂
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In the Amazon in South America there are huge flowers that smell like rotten flesh. They are pretty too. Strange isn’t it? 🙂
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There’s so much in creation that we can be amazed at!
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Wow, I never seen these before! They’re gigantic and interesting but the smell would certainly put me off. 🙂
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Another one of nature’s marvels, breaking all the stereotypes we hold about pretty flowers!
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