Resembling sea coral, this evergreen succulent shrub forms thick, brightly colored, vertical stems in shades of red and green. Its common name, red pencil tree, comes from the thin and round stems. Plants are drought and salt tolerant and resistant to deer and rabbit. The milky sap that oozes when stems break can cause skin irritation, so place in low traffic areas where humans and pets won't easily brush against it and break the stems.