Crimson Starflower

This small flower grows up to 3 inches (8 cm) tall. Its pink-red stem is very thick, and the giant, caramel and hazel leaves are dark yellow-green on the underside and are very narrow and elongated with smooth edges. Many leaves grow at the base of the stem, and more leaves alternate on the stem from about halfway up, up to the flower head.

A single medium-sized flower sits at the end of the stem. The flowers are 7 cm (2.8 inches) wide, with hazel petals on the lower layer and crimson petals decorated with hazel dots on the inner layer. The central disk is blood red. The flower head is shaped like a star made up of several widely spaced, round-tipped petals. They detach easily.

It has a soft scent that smells like something putrid, and it has a modest amount of pollen; it does not cause any allergic reactions. It is a self-pollinator, but is also particularly attractive to insects.