Lady’s Slipper looks like it may have come from Dr. Seuss’ imagination, with its unusual bird-shaped flowers and candle-like stems. This distinctive succulent forms a clump of upright, mostly leafless, silvery green stems as thick as your finger, reaching 3-4 feet tall. This rush-like, clumping plant maintains an upright form in full sun or partial shade, but becomes more sprawling in full shade. Its red “slippers” contain tiny nectar-rich flowers that attract hummingbirds. Younger plants can be damaged by temperatures below freezing, but mature plants are hardy down to the-mid 20 degrees F. To avoid cold damage, plant against a south-facing wall, under eaves, or in a container that can be moved to a protected area when low temperatures are expected. Lady’s Slipper makes a great container plant but can also grow well in the garden. Adapted to heat, aridity, and drought, it is popular in borders, rock gardens, raised planters, near foundations, pools, and water features. Mass plantings along a wall or in a raised bed can make a dramatic statement
