The attractive, slow-growing succulent is recognized by its bright red flowers that resemble an elegant shoe or slipper. The plant grows six feet tall and wide in a clumping, upright growth habit, with small pencil-like stems. A milky sap is emitted when the stem is broken or pruned. It has tiny, gray leaves that appear on new growth, but they fall quickly when the plant is moisture-stressed. The blooms appear in late spring or early summer and attract hummingbirds. Use it in containers or against low walls or as an understory plant, under trees. Plant the slipper plant with desert plants and cactus for its strong vertical effects. Use it in large containers mixed in with other striking cactus and succulent plants. The slipper plant is native to the Baja peninsula and northwestern Sonora, Mexico, where it grows on hillsides and in desert plains.

It is hardy to about thirty degrees Fahrenheit, but mature plants can handle lower temperatures before showing signs of frost damage. This plant is also drought-tolerant, but requires occasional irrigation during hot, dry spells. If planted in containers, water it weekly during the summer. The slipper plant likes well-draining soil. It also prefers to be planted in full sun or light shade and can tolerate reflected heat.