The Adenium obesum, commonly called the Desert Rose ( Adenium obesum ) is a striking addition to any garden or indoor collection. With their spectacular fat trunk (which must be where they get their name of ‘obesum’), their bonsai like appearance and a range of spectacular flowers … what’s not to love? Adenium are native to Africa and Arabia.
Other common names for the Desert Rose are Mock Azalea, Impala Lily, Sabi Star & Kudu. Adenium obesum are best grown from seed, they can also be propagated by cuttings, however they don’t tend to get that nice fat trunk for many years this way, so it can be a bit of a waste of time. The variety available on this listing is a mix of ‘Single Star’ seeds – star shaped bi-colour flowers with a mix of types/colours.
Please note: Adenium will not always grow true to colour of their parent plant. As a rough guide below are few statistics from a professional Adenium breeder on how often (%) a seed will grow true to the colour of the parent plant.
Pink = 85%, White = 95%, Red = 95%, Stripe Lined = 70%, Dark Purple = 10%, Light Purple = 30%, Peach = 70%, Red lining with 5 petals = 20%, Yellow = 20%, White petal with red curving = 95%.
Growth
The Desert Rose is a succulent plant that can grow as tall as 3 metres! The leaves can grow up to 15 cm’s once full grown and they have a beautiful flower with 5 petals, similar in shape to a Frangipani flower. They are best known for their amazing bulbous trunk. This species can be grown in temperate to tropical regions but should be taken inside during in cooler climates when temperatures go below 10°C. Suitable as an indoor plant and as a beginner bonsai plant. It is semi-deciduous in cooler regions but will retain its leaves all year round in tropical climates.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Apocynaceae
CLIMATE:
Temperate, Sub Tropical, Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
10 to 45°C / 50 to 112°F
SOIL TYPE:
Soil must be well draining. A succulent cactus mix is best.
LOCATION:
Full Sun – Part Shade
HEIGHT:
Up to 3 metres (10 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 1 metre (3 feet)
pH:
5.5-6.5
GROWTH TYPE:
Succulent. Perennial. Deciduous to Evergreen, depending on climate.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Light – Drought Tolerant
POLLINATION:
Wind, Insect or Hand Pollination. Bisexual – Flowers have both female and male organs.
MATURITY:
12-18 months
GERMINATION RATES:
89%
GERMINATION TIME:
1-2 weeks in suitable conditions
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Medium
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 100
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
No – The sap of this plant is toxic, so keep away from pets and small children
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
No
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 1-2 years.
FACTS ABOUT ADENIUM OBESUM (Desert Rose)
Although a very common name for this species is the Desert Rose, it is not a Rose or a relation to Roses.
Adeniums are great for beginner bonsai growers and commonly used for this purpose.
Desert Rose are NOT edible and can be toxic if eaten.
Germination Instructions
HOW TO GROW ADENIUM OBESUM (Desert Rose)
Temperatures are important for germination so best to grow them mid Spring to early Summer if you are attempting to grow outdoors. You can of course use a heat mat & mini greenhouse indoors at any time of the year, if you also have a nice well-lit room with indirect sun.
Step 1
Prepare you pot/s or tray with a very well-draining medium with 50% sand and 50% of either a seed raising mix, perlite, vermiculite, or peat.
The most important thing is that the medium is well draining, you can also use a cactus or succulent mix to start these. Moisten the medium prior to sowing to not disturb the seeds once they are laid out – save some moistened media to cover the seeds. Please be sure your media is not wet, just moist. If you can squeeze water out of it – it is too wet! If this happens, leave the media to dry out a little prior to sowing.
Soak seeds for an hour or two in warm water before sowing.
Step 2
Lay the seeds on the surface of the moistened medium and cover with 2-3 mm of further medium. Place into a mini greenhouse if you have one or cover the pots / tray with some plastic kitchen wrap tightly to build up humidity and keep the moisture levels up (basically a home-made greenhouse)!
Place into a warm spot with plenty of light but no direct sun.
Seeds should germinate after 3-14 days in correct conditions.
Ideal temperatures for germination are 25-30°C/78-90°F
Step 3
Check the pots / tray daily to allow a little air circulation for a few minutes and to be sure that the medium isn’t drying out. If the media is looking / feeling a little dry use a mist spray bottle to re-moisten and make sure you seal is tight around your greenhouse. If your plastic is getting moisture on the inside – humidity and moisture levels are good.
Step 4
Seedlings can be transplanted gently if necessary once they have at least one set of true leaves. If you are using a soil free mixture, you can change that at this stage, but mix your germination mix in and again be sure that whatever you use is well draining, as this is vital.
Try to keep them in the same conditions as they were for germination until they are at least 2-3 months old, allowing them a little more air circulation as time passes until you completely remove the plastic.
If you are in an area that has good outdoor weather, you can start hardening them off outdoors at this point (if this is your intention). Start with an hour of morning sun, then gradually increasing the time by an hour every week until they are coping well and can stay outside all day, this may take a couple of months.
Give plenty of water during Spring and Summer, they can be a little thirsty contrary to popular belief. They will probably need watering daily during hotter months. If they are not getting enough water, they will let you know, the leaves will yellow and drop off. In cooler climates this may happen during the cooler months as they do not like the cold – we recommend taking your Desert Rose inside for the winter in cooler areas, as long as you look after it, it should recover once Spring arrives. In cooler months, you may go weeks in between watering, doing so only when the soil is almost dry.
Liquid seaweed fertilise monthly during the growing months.
Please note: As the name suggests the Desert Rose is a warmer climate plant that thrives in full sun. They will cope with light shade.
