Euphorbia tithymaloides

Native to Florida, Mexico and tropical America, this plant is an erect succulent shrub that grows about two to ten feet tall. Its green stems form a zigzag pattern and carry alternate, smooth, oval leaves with pointed tips and entire to wavy margins. Clusters of small flowers surrounded by red, slipper-shaped structures develop at the branch tips. The plant is cultivated as an ornamental for its foliage and unusual stems. Its milky sap irritates skin and eyes, and the plant is harmful if eaten. Photographed in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia.