This collector-worthy group of succulents attracts attention for their strikingly unusual blooms more than their unique scents.

Toad Plant
(Orbea variegata)

• Succulent
• Cream to red; summer to fall
• 2″-4″H by 4″-20″W
• Well-drained sandy soil
• Zones 9A-11B
• Full to partial sun
• Low water; low maintenance
• Attracts: Flies

Like many other five-petaled stapeliads, the toad plant is also sometimes referred to as star or starfish flower. Native to South Africa, this variety resembles a cactus but is actually a leafless succulent with toothed, clumping stems that can turn purple in full sun.

Why we like it: Due to its small size, toad plant does best in containers and can be grown indoors with sufficient light if the faintly malodorous scent of the flowers can be tolerated. The showy star-shaped flowers are primarily cream-colored with reddish-brown markings.

Bushman’s Hat
(Hoodia gordonii)

• Succulent
• Pale pinkish; spring
• 1′-3’H by 2′-3’W
• Well-drained sandy soil
• Zones 9-11
• Full to partial sun
• Low water; low maintenance
• Attracts: Flies

Also known as Kalahari Cactus due to its southern African origins, Hoodie gordonii is not a cactus, despite its spiny, thick-stemmed appearance. This plant gained notoriety in the early 2000s as a potential appetite suppressant for weight loss, but commercial applications did not pan out.

Why we like it: Hoodia’s saucer-shaped flowers are primarily buff-colored with pale reddish-purple markings, making them an attractive addition to succulent gardens, despite the smell of meat gone bad that attracts flies and other pollinators.

Lifesaver Plant
(Huernia zebrina)

• Succulent
• Cream and red; spring to summer
• 6″-8″H by 3″-6″W
• Well-drained sandy soil
• Zones 9B-11
• Full to partial sun
• Low water; low maintenance
• Attracts: Flies

Native to parts of Africa, this small, soft-spined plant with fleshy green stems resembles certain cacti that grow in a creeping pattern. Like other stapeliads, these flowers also emit a strong odor resembling carrion that attracts flies as pollinators.

Why we like it: This diminutive succulent can easily be grown indoors or in a partially shaded container garden. It gets its common name of Lifesaver Plant due to its small but striking flowers. Zebra-striped, red- and cream-colored petals surround a raised, rubbery ring in the center resembling its namesake candy or flotation device.

Carrion Plant
(Stapelia gigantea)

• Succulent
• Pale yellow; summer to fall
• 1′-2’H by 1′-3’W
• Well-drained soil
• Zones 9A-12
• Partial sun
• Low water; low maintenance
• Attracts: Flies

Native to South Africa, Stapelia gigantea and a similar plant, S. grandiflora, with slightly smaller reddish flowers, are both often called carrion plants due to the smell resembling rotting meat emitted from the blooms. The scent attracts flies and other pollinators to the plant.

Why we like it: The creamy yellow flowers with reddish brown markings have five thick and fleshy petals and can be as large as 15 inches across. The clumping green stems resembling spineless cactus make this plant ideal for rock gardens alongside other succulents with some protection from direct sun.