Pronounciation: Yew-FOR-bee-a low-MEL-ee-i

Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-24
USDA 9-11

Landscape Use: Textural and floral accent, specimen, sun and shade desert gardens

Form & Character: Stiffly upright, coarse and brittle, to sprawling especially in the shade.

Growth Habit: Semi-succulent, strongly upright to as tall as 6 feet in height. Sprawling with age.

Foliage/Texture: Generally leafless, elongated stems are green (photosynthetic); medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Small yellow to red terminal blooms; fruit, oblong and reddish during winter.

Seasonal Color: Flowers in summer are but a relatively minor accent.

Temperature: Cold tolerant to only 25^oF, but will develop chilling injury in the form of reddened stems when night-time winter temperatures are consistently in the 30^o to 40^oF range.

Light: Versatile from full sun to shade, prefers partial shade in Phoenix.

Soil: Any soil type.

Watering: Some summer water is needed.

Pruning: Any amount of stems at any time can be removed depending on situation.

Propagation: Easy by stem cutting.

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: Lady's slippers is an interesting, semi-succulent accent shrub for small and narrow landscape borders. The flowers attract hummingbirds. Stems contain a white, milky latex that is 6% to 10% rubber.

Overall, this is quite a nice accent shrub when young that features the landscape elements of texture and line that contrast well when planted alongside finer textured and more rounded shrubs. However, it can become quite the mess as it gets older....all entangled up, scruffy, sprawling and rambling. Older specimens kinda make me say, "Meh!"