Lady’s Slipper

This attractive vertical plant is an unusual succulent with thick stems and tiny, inconspicuous leaves on stems that are tapered like a candle. Lime-green coloured stems are also coated in a protective wax named Candelilla. The plant features orange-red slipper-shaped or bird-shaped flowers that are popular with hummingbirds. An evergreen native to the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico, it is a medium sized, slow-growing, clump-forming shrub which is extremely heat tolerant.

You can place it in full sun to very light shade, and it will also handle reflected light. Minimal watering (every few weeks) but otherwise no maintenance is needed. A striking accent plant, it suits succulent gardens, mass planting in waterwise gardens, or looks stunning potted up in decorative containers. Note that the sap can be an irritant so avoid contact. (Also sometimes still classified as Euphorbia lomelii despite reclassification.)