Outdoor Dream Builders

ROC #343460

Back to Plant Library

succulentPool FriendlyPollinator Plant

Slipper Flower

Name: Slipper Flower
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Euphorbia lomelii

A quirky succulent bearing tiny red slipper-shaped flowers that hummingbirds love to visit.

Frost sensitive, hardy to about 30°F, USDA 9-11; a tender low-desert succulent.

AMWUA Notes

Sap is a skin irritant.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Water monthly in summer and none in winter; the succulent stems rot easily if kept moist.

✂️Pruning

Minimal; remove damaged stems wearing gloves against the irritating sap.

🌱Fertilizing

Not necessary; light spring feeding optional.

🛡️Pests

Largely pest-free; the sap deters browsers and most insects.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Frost-tender below 30°F; protect in cold snaps and enjoy the red slipper flowers spring into summer.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Fast-draining gritty mineral soil or decomposed granite; low organic matter

💧Drainage

Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

Stem cuttings (let the sap callus first)

📐Spacing

3 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Shallow, non-invasive roots; keep the irritating sap out of reach

Placement Tips

•Great in containers or as a conversation-piece accent in a hummingbird garden.
•Keep the sap away from skin and out of reach of children.
•Plant in fast-draining soil.
•Give it 3 ft of room.

Features

Unique red slipper-shaped flowersHummingbird pollinatedContainer-friendlyUnusual form

Best Uses

ContainerHummingbird gardenConversation piece

Ecological Value

Attracts

hummingbirds

Companion Plants

succulent

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parviflora

One of the toughest and most rewarding desert plants, sending up arching coral-red flower spikes that hummingbirds adore.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

shrub

Native

Chuparosa

Justicia californica

A large Sonoran Desert native shrub with fragrant orange-red flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in winter and spring.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Yellow Bulbine

Bulbine frutescens

A low-growing succulent ground cover with cheerful yellow flower spikes that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Medicinal Aloe

Aloe vera

The classic healing aloe whose soothing gel has been used for centuries, while its blooms support bees and butterflies.

Very Low Waterpartial shadePool Safe

Quick Stats

Water NeedsVery Low (Xeric)

Sun Exposurefull sun

Mature Size3 ft H × 3 ft W

Growth Rateslow

Maintenancelow

HardinessUSDA 9-11

FoliageEvergreen

Drainagesharp, fast-draining

Bloom SeasonLate spring-summer

Bloom ColorRed

Litter Levellow

ThornsNone

Native RegionBaja California and Sonora Mexico

Design Styles

desert modern

Include in Your Project

Love Slipper Flower? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.

Talk to a Dream Builder Get a Project Estimate

Already a Client?

Use this care guide to maintain your Slipper Flower. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.

Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.