Tavaresia barklyi
Tavaresia barklyi – The Devil’s Trumpet
Description:
Tavaresia barklyi is one of South Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary stapeliads, native to the arid regions of the Northern Cape and southern Namibia. This remarkable succulent produces upright, four-angled stems covered with prominent tubercles, giving it a distinctive cactus-like appearance despite belonging to the Apocynaceae family.
Its true spectacle lies in its flowers. Among the largest in the stapeliad group, the blooms are star-shaped and richly coloured in cream to pale yellow with intricate maroon or deep reddish-brown stripes and spots. The flowers are densely covered in fine hairs, creating a dramatic, almost exotic appearance. Like many stapeliads, they attract flies for pollination by mimicking carrion, although the scent is often less intense than that of some related species.
Highly prized by collectors, Tavaresia barklyi is both an important botanical rarity and one of the most impressive flowering succulents of southern Africa.
General Care:
- Light: Prefers bright, indirect light or gentle morning sun. Avoid harsh afternoon sun, which may scorch the leaves or fade the variegation.
- Water: Water moderately during active growth, allowing the soil to dry completely between waterings. Reduce watering during winter.
- Soil: Requires a well-draining succulent or cactus mix with added grit, pumice, or coarse sand.
- Temperature: Thrives in mild to warm conditions and should be protected from frost. Ideal range is 10–30°C.
- Feeding: Feed lightly during spring and summer with a balanced succulent fertilizer.
- Maintenance: Easy to grow and slow-growing. Ensure good airflow and avoid prolonged wet conditions. Offsets can be separated to propagate new plants.
Like freshly fallen snow captured within its leaves, Haworthia ‘Yukinosato’ is a living work of art—subtle, elegant, and treasured by collectors around the world.