Black Bells
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Carrion Flower, Maroon Cup Starfish and Star Flower.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- During growth, water moderately and feed monthly with a low-nitrogen fertiliser; at all other times water very sparingly.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While growing, water moderately and give a low-nitrogen fertiliser each month; at all other times water very sparingly.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- By division or stem cuttings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Sow seed, remove rooted sections, or take stem section cuttings laid sideways to root.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Mealybugs can occur. Diseases: stem and root rots under wet conditions.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Stapelia leendertziae, commonly known as black bells, is a species of succulent plant in the family Apocynaceae that is native to Southern Africa. Other common names include, carrion flower, carrion chalice, rugose cup starfish, maroon cup starfish and star flower.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Gauteng to KwaZulu-NatalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026South Africa and ZimbabweNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026South Africa, EswatiniRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- subtropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- succulent subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Succulent; habit columnar, erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Tufted (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers red/burgundy; blooms in fall, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers red in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Stapelia
More of the Apocynaceae family
HoyaDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Madagascar periwinkleBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
OleanderBrown brittle margins with a green centre
String of heartsNew leaves arrive smaller and paler than the ones below
AllamandaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Carrion CactusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
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African MilkbushSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.