Scientific Name
Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult.
Common Name(s)
Desert Rose, Mock Azalea, Impala Lily
Synonym(s)
Adenium coetaneum, Adenium honghel, Nerium obesum, Adenium arabicum, Adenium arboreum, Adenium micranthum, Adenium socotranum, Adenium somalense, Adenium speciosum, Adenium tricholepis, Cameraria obesa
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Apocynoideae
Tribe: Wrightieae
Genus: Adenium
Origin
Adenium obesum is native to the Sahel regions, south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), and tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia.
Flower
Color: Red and pink
Bloom Time: Spring and summer
Description
Adenium obesum is an evergreen or drought-deciduous succulent shrub with pachycaul stems and a stout, swollen basal caudex. It grows up to 10 feet (3 m) tall. Leaves are spirally arranged, clustered toward the tips of the shoots, simple entire, leathery in texture, up to 6 inches (15 cm) long, and up to 3 inches (8 cm) wide.
The flowers are tubular with five petals, red and pink, often with a whitish blush outward of the throat. They are up to 2 inches (5 cm) long, with the outer portion up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) in diameter. Long fingerlike double fruits are grey to pale grey-brown, sometimes fringed with pink.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
These are not difficult plants to grow well, provided they get enough sunlight and warmth. However, like all succulents, they cannot tolerate sitting in water, and if you err, do it on the side of too little water. Use a specialized soil mix designed for cacti and succulents.
Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a succulent, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the plant from the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process. Treat any cuts with a fungicide and antibacterial solution. Next, place the plant in its new pot and backfill with potting soil, spreading the roots out as you repot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.
The Desert Rose is typically propagated by seed. If your plant develops a seed pod, sow the seeds as soon as possible after the pod ripens to maximize the chances of germination. Desert Rose can also be propagated from stem cuttings, but this plant often fails to develop the characteristic (and highly desired) bulbous stem.
Subspecies
Links
- Back to genus Adenium
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
Photo Gallery
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