Adenium

Adenium mixed

2005-11-28T22:34:00.000+07:00

Adenium somalense crispum
X Adenium obesum
'Grumbley White'

An easily grown form of the white flowered Adenium obesum with glossy leathery green leaves and ease of flowering. Flowers average about 3 cm across with a greenish throat. Quite floriferous with trusses of 5-7 blooms and buds simultaneously.

Adenium "Sunset"

A beautiful selection from a cross between Adenium "Highland Red" by Ad. obesum "Bold." A good growing form that branches naturally, even from the base. A characteristic from the Highland Red parent. This particular selection has a bright orange suffusion in its throat that seems to overflow into the outer corolla. Flowers average about 5 cm across and have a distinct star-shaped corolla. Used in breeding to increase orange and coral shades in adeniums. Blooms almost constantly throughout the year.
Stems are very sturdy and erect, with crowded leaves due to short internodes. Flowers are large (9.4 cm, 3.7 inches), deep red, fading slightly toward the throat. It blooms almost 12 months a year, usually profusely except during hottest weather. It has the same parents as 'Crimson Star'.

Adenium somalense var. crispum

2005-11-23T02:42:00.000+07:00

A subspecies discovered relatively recently, it is very different from the one above. My own experience with the species is limited to some cuttings from Mark Dimmit in USA and a few seedlings from Arid Lands, all but one of which died (possibly due to a reaction to the fungicide Mancozeb). What strikes one is the compactness of the plant, its very distinctive, narrow marbled foliage and the heavily marked flowers.

An Adenium somalense var. crispum clone from Mark Dimmit in USA.

Adenium 'Crimson Star'
X Adenium somalense crispum
Photo: Mark Dimmitt

Adenium obesum
X Adenium somalense crispum
Photo: Mark Dimmitt

The petals are twisted and curled in all the clones I have seen (hence the specific name) and it is dominant in its hybrids. It does bring patterns never seen before to its hybrids and opens up frontiers breeders had not imagined possible. Only time will tell where breeding efforts with this species will take us.

Adenium obesum X Adenium somalense crispum Photo: Mark Dimmitt	Adenium obesum (Costas picotee) X Adenium somalense crispum Photo: Mark Dimmitt
Adenium obesum 'Red Everbloomer' X Adenium somalense crispum Photo: Mark Dimmitt	Adenium 'Crimson Star' X Adenium somalense crispum Photo: Mark Dimmitt
Adenium 'Stars and Stripes' was the only seedling worth keeping of a cross between obesum 'Red Everbloomer' and somalense crispum. The small flowers (40mm, 1.5") are borne profusely all year.

Adenium obesum Balf. f.

2005-11-21T21:32:00.000+07:00

Query NCU-3e or IPNI
Common Name:
Family: Apocynaceae Juss.

Country of Origin:
Habitat:

Description: [syn. Adenium coetaneum Stapf.]
Shrub to 2m high with thick caudex and many short branches; leaves at ends of branches; pink flowers.

Culture: Popular in tropical gardens, they prefer a position in full sun or part-shade and thrive best in climates with a well-marked dry season. Kept dwarfed and rootbound in a pot, they will often flower more profusely. As they are very prone to rotting, they require a gritty, well-drained soil. Propagate from seed or cuttings.

Restrictions:

Poisonous Plant Parts - Not for Human Consumption

Classification:

Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
SubClass: Asteridae
Order: Gentianales
SubOrder:
Family: Apocynaceae
SubFamily:
Tribe:
SubTribe:

Based upon: Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). ‘The Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.’ Version: 19th August 1999. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/.

401166

Adenium coetaneum

401167

Adenium coetaneum

Adenium multiflorum (Sabi Star)

2005-11-18T22:27:00.000+07:00

Adenium multiflorum [A.obesum var. multifiorum (Klotsch) Codd] (Figs. 3, 4) is very different from A.obesum both horticulturally and geographically. It occurs on the east side of southern Africa, in Mozambique and the countries bordering it on the west and south. Neither Plaizier (1980) nor Rowley (undated) show any geographic overlap with A.obesum on their distribution maps, though Rowley says that intergrades occur. (They easily cross in cultivation.)

In nature the plants are tall, multiple-stemmed shrubs (Plaizier, 1980). In cultivation they are always thick, sturdy, and upright. As in A.obesum, there is no distinct caudex in mature cultivated plants, but they have very enlarged stems and roots. Seedlings have a prominent, ovoid caudex for the first several years. The leaves are large and very broad.

In distinct contrast with A.obesum, this species has an obligatory long winter dormancy. Regardless of growing conditions, the leaves fall in autumn; growth will not resume for at least four months, longer in cool or dry conditions.

Adenium multiflorum flowers profusely for two to four months in winter while leafless, never at other times. The petals are white with sharply defined red edges (Fig. 4). There are always 15 prominent red nectar guides in the white throat (three per petal). The anther appendages equal or exceed the throat. Flowers average about 6-7 cm (2 1/2 inches) in diameter, and the petals are more pointed than those of A.obesum.

Adenium multiflorum grow vigorously from seed, but mature at a larger size than plants of A.obesum. Plants rarely flower until they are 4 to 5 years old. Cuttings of A.muitiflorum develop thick roots and stems and make good specimens after a few years. This taxon is in cultivation but is a distant second to A.obesum in availability, probably because of its slower growth and shorter blooming season.

Adenium multiflorum - a deciduous succulent shrub or small tree, 0.5-3 m tall. The shape of the plant resembles a miniature baobab. Shiny grey to brown swollen, succelent stems arise from a large underground rootstock. They produce poisonous watery latex. Sweetly scented terminal inflorescences, each flower 50-70 mm in diameter, the colours can vary greatly. The leaves are shed before the terminal inflorescences appear (spring).

Distribution: from southeastern Zambia, through Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, to Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and Swaziland. Endangered species in these areas, with the exception of South Africa.

Toxicity - It is a source of fish poison and arrow poison, always in combination with other poisons. Leafs and flowers are not poisonous.

Other names - UK mock azalea, desert rose, kudu lily, Sabi star - D Wüstenrose, Impala-Lilie - Afrikaans Impalalelie.

Books
Vincent Carruthers (ed.) - The Wildlife of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-451-4
Wild Flowers of South Africa, ed. JP Rourke. Struik Publ. 1996. ISBN 1-82825-897-1
Weblinks
South African National Biodiversity Institute University of Wisconsin, Horticulture

Adenium oleifolium

2005-11-18T21:56:00.000+07:00

Adenium oleifolium Stapf (=Adenium lugardii N.E.Br.) occurs in the interior of southem Africa, in the Kalahari Desert of southern Botswana, South Africa, and eastern Namibia. It is a small, slow-growing species with a subterranean caudex rarely more than a foot in diameter (and this only with great age). Both roots and stems rise toward the surface; the above-ground stems are not thickened noticeably and are seldom as much as two feet tall (Plaizier, 1980). The leaves are very long and narrow with nearly parallel sides, but do not tend to fold upwards along the midrib as do those of Adenium swazicum.

The flowers are small, about 2-5 cm (1 inch) in diameter with a wide floral tube. The petals are pink and the tube white or gold with faint nectar guides. Plaizier (1980) describes the corollas as, "bright scarlet or red to pink," but we have seen only pink in cultivation. Plants bloom for a couple of months in summer. Pollinated follicles often take more than a year to mature; the seeds are much larger than those of other Adenium. Adenium oleifolium is only occasionally offered in the trade. It is easy to grow, but is quite slow to become a specimen.

Adenium oleifolium

Detailed information on Adenium (Adenium oleifolium)

Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Adenium (a-DEE-nee-um) (Info)
Species: oleifolium (oh-lee-ih-FOH-lee-um) (Info)

Category:
Tropicals/Tender Perennials
Cactus and Succulents

Height:
Unknown - Tell us

Spacing:
Unknown - Tell us

Hardiness:
Unknown - Tell us

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested

Bloom Color:
Pale Pink
Pink
White/Near White

Bloom Time:
Unknown - Tell us

Foliage:
Unknown - Tell us

Other details:
This plant is suitable for growing indoors
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Suitable for growing in containers

Soil pH requirements:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
Unknown - Tell us

Seed Collecting:
Unknown - Tell us

Profile:

No positives
No neutrals
No negatives

from northen Cap area in South Africa, south eastern Namibia and south of Bostwana. The caracteristic leaves are allmost green-grey and glaucous, 10cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide. The flowers are dark-pink.

Adenium obesum ssp. oleifolium

Adenium bohemianum

2005-11-18T02:37:00.000+07:00

Adenium bohemianum:

A clone of Adenium bohemianum with dark magenta pink flowers. Other clones have much lighter flowers.

A peculiar species, with flowers similar to A. swazicum but very broad leaves, long periods of dormancy and poor flowering characteristics. We grow a few plants but have never tried to use it in any crosses. I know of one or two hybrids that seem to have A. bohemianum as a parent. Has never set seed for me.

Adenium oleifolium:
I have tried growing this several times from seed but the plants always rot during the monsoon. In my experience they are not slow growing but maybe the fast growth under my conditions made them so susceptible to rot. In future I would try and grow them slowly in low nutrient conditions.

Family:	Apocynaceae
Habitat:	Namibia and Angola
Soil:	Mix
Water:	Medium
Sun:	Maximum
Thickness:	50 centimetres
Height:	175 centimetres
Flower:	Pink-Deep Pink
Reproduction:	Seeds
Pop names:	-
Synonyms:	A. b. var. s.:Adenium swazicum Otto Stapf 1907
Got it from:	-
Year:	-

It is found in the western part og southern Africa, from Namibia to Angola, growing in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun. The caudex disappears with age. The plant can grow up to 175 centimetres or more.

This is A. b. var. swazicum.

Adenium somalense var. somalense

2005-11-18T02:10:00.000+07:00

Adenium somalense var. somalense

A huge specimen Adenium somalense var. somalense; this one is at the December show in Bangkok and for sale for about US$25,000 !

A robust, tall and fast growing species. Makes big plants quickly and should be a good landscape item in frost free areas. Very fecund and crosses freely. Even more than A. multiflorum this species is mixed in almost all Adenium selections world wide. One common trait that it leaves is its progeny are the strong red lines going down the throat. We discarded our plants a long time ago, in an effort (only partly successful) to maintain a relatively pure strain on A. obesum for seed production. This was necessary when we grew all our plants together but I now regret it- they do form very nice specimen plants.

Adenium somalense var. crispum:
A subspecies discovered relatively recently, it is very different from the one above. My own experience with the species is limited to some cuttings from Mark Dimmit in USA and a few seedlings from Arid Lands, all but one of which died (possibly due to a reaction to the fungicide Mancozeb). What strikes one is the compactness of the plant, its very distinctive, narrow marbled foliage and the heavily marked flowers.

An Adenium somalense var. crispum clone from Mark Dimmit in USA.

Adenium somalense Baif. f. occurs from Somalia south through the Rift Valley into Kenya and Tanzania (Rowley, 1983). The leaves arc 5 to 10cm long by 18 to 25 mm wide (2-4" by 0.75- 1"), bright green and usually with white veins. In habitat the most conspicuous form is the nominate variety somalense, a small tree to 15 feet tall with a very wide-based, distinctly conical caudex (Fig.11). The flowering branches are very thin and spreading to pendent. These giant-caudiciform populations occur in Somalia and northwestern Kenya. In most of Kenya they are shrubby with smaller caudexes, apparently from intergrading with A.obesum, which occurs on the coastal side of that country.

The flower is smaller than that of A.obesum, usually less than 5 cm (2") in diameter with narrower, pointed petals and prominent nectar guides that may extend slightly beyond the pubescent throat onto the petals (Fig.15). The flower color varies from pink to deep red, and, as in A. obesum, the color fades toward the throat. The flowering period of cultivated plants is usually from autumn through early summer but is considerably influenced by culture.

Adenium somalense is available in cultivation and easy to grow. Nearly all the plants are of the shrubby, presumed intergrade with A.obesum. This species has an obligate dormancy, usually beginning in November or December in Tucson. Plants do not releaf until flowering is past its peak in late spring.

In 1991 Dimmitt obtained seeds from an arborescent population in northwestem Kenya. The plants are extremely vigorous; seedlings produced mostly unbranched stems to six feet tall in a single growth spurt lasting 18 months. During the second and third growing seasons the plants scarcely increased in height, but the trunks thickcned substantially and grew numerous thin, ascending to horizontal flowering branches (Fig.13).

Adenium somalense var. crispum

Adenium somalense var. crispum Chiov. is dramatically different from the nominate (first-described, i.e., the arborescent) variety and its intergrades with A.obesum. The plants are dwarfs with napiform (turnip-shaped) subterranean caudexes (Fig.14). The relatively thin roots originate almost exclusively from the top of the caudex, whjch is just below the soil surface, very unlike the arborescent form's thick, succulent roots that radiate from the base of the broad, above-ground caudex. The few above-ground stems are erect to ascending, scarcely succulent, and rarely more than a foot tall (Fig.18). The leaves are narrowly linear, usually strongly crisped (wavy-margined), and prominently white-veined.

The flowers of variety crispum are also distinctive (Fig.16). Compared to the arborescent variety, they have larger throats and smaller, narrower, white to pinkish petals. The margins of the squarish petals are often curled downward (quilled). The pink to red nectar guides in the throat may extend halfway to the tips of the petals, giving the flowers a distinctly striped aspect. In some plants the petals are solid red (Fig.17). Flowering in cultivation is sporadic; it seems to be most profuse during winter dormancy but may extend well into summer. Seedlings can flower in less than two years when only 6 inches tall.

This variety occurs in the same area as A.somalense somalense but apparently does not intergrade with it (Gerald Barad and Seymour Linden, pers. comm.). John Lavranos (pers. comm.) considers tbe two to belong to the same taxon. The variety crispum grows slowly in cultivation; it takes about five years to produce a specimen with its characteristic, though still small, caudex. The caudex can be exposed above the potting medium to create charismatic bonsai-like treelets (the base can produce roots in cultivation).

Fig.11. Adenium somalense var.somalense, Lake Baringo, Kenya. The conical caudex is diagnostic. Photo: Thomas A.Wiewandt.

Fig.12. Adenium somalense var.somalense east of Bargal, Somalia Photo: Myron Kimnach.

Fig.14. Collected plant of Adenium somalense var.crispum. In habitat the caudex would be underground. Stubs of the original feeding roots can be seen ariund the top of the caudex.

Fig.13. Three yera-old, six-foot-tall sapling of Adenium somalense somalense in cultivation from seed collected in northwestern Kenya. Note the incipient swelling of the entire trunk, which occured rapidly in the fall of the third season.

Fig.16. Flowers of Adenium somalense var.crispum, a selected clone with brighter than average color and only slightly quilled petals.

Fig.15. Flowers of a cultivated Adenium somalense somalense from northwestern Kenya.

Fig.17. Adenium somalense var crispum, red-flowered plant with nonquilled petals north of Mogadishu, Somalia. Photo: Gerald Barad.

Fig.18. Adenium somalense var.crispum. road to Warshak, Somalia. The caudex is typically underground, as (not) seen here. Photo: Myron Kimnach.

Family:	Apocynaceae
Habitat:	Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania
Soil:	Mix
Water:	Medium
Sun:	Maximum
Thickness:	50 centimetres
Height:	5 meters
Flower:	Dark Pink
Reproduction:	Seeds/Cuttings
Pop names:	-
Synonyms:	-
Got it from:	-
Year:	-

It is found in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania, growing in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun. It will grow up to 50 centimetres in diameter, and the stems will grow up to to five meters in height. The flowers are dark pink.

Adenium arabicum

2005-11-18T01:33:00.000+07:00

Adenium arabicum:
Distinguished most by its outstanding caudex formation and relatively thick fleshy leaves, this is the most succulent and "desert like" species. Seeds are particularly large and give seedlings which rapidly form a nice hard caudex. The form of the plant varies and we are trying to select for superior trunk and branch formations.

An exceptional Adenium arabicum I bought in Bangok- it is not quite the cultivar Golden Crown, which seems to be a selection of arabicum similar to this one but with smaller leaves and even more branches.

There are several forms, as well documented in the literature. A form being sold in Bangkok initially as "Adenium socotranum" and now as the cultivar Golden Crown is, in its best selections, extremely caudiciform with a ring of branches topping the short, fat caudex. Leaves are relatively narrow and long (lanceolate), thinner in substance and glabrous. Flowers are typical, small and pink.

My own A. arabicum plants originate from one specimen plant I acquired from a respected collector in Ahmedabad, the late Mr.Vinubhai Goghari. He himself received the plant from a British collector before 1947 as a cutting. This plant is unusual in many respects- first it has reddish flowers (while in a leafless, dormant state in winter/spring), the stems and petioles have a distinct reddish coloration and the seed pods are fat and very often trifid- in fact this is the reason I bought this plant (for about $300) thinking its progeny would increase my seed production 50% in one go! It was not to be- I did not know about Adenium arabicum then and any way, this plant only sets seed with difficulty.

A young trifid seeds pod from Mr.Goghari's Adenium arabicum. Seeds are fat and relatively few in number. The flowers are red rather than pink.

The leaves of this plant are small, softly furry and distinctly succulent. Its best progeny show exceptional form and similar leaves which are often bluish tinged, making them the most attractive of Adeniums for overall plant form. Flowers are deeper pink than the parent even in our heat. Plants can be kept dry in winter for several months- this dormant period promotes blooming.

Adenium arabicum

arab186: Adenium arabicum, 2-year-old seedling of Yemen form. The plants from Yemen tend to have larger, rounder flowers than the Saudi Arabian ones.
Photo: Mark Dimmitt

Family:	Apocynaceae
Habitat:	Arabian Peninsula
Soil:	Mix
Water:	Medium
Sun:	Maximum
Thickness:	45 centimetres
Height:	4 meters
Flower:	Dark Pink/White
Reproduction:	Seeds/Cuttings
Pop names:	-
Synonyms:	-
Got it from:	-
Year:	-

It is found in the deserts of southern and western Arabian peninsula, in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun. It will grow up to 45 centimetres in diameter, and the stems will grow up to two or even four meters in height. The flowers are dark pink and white.

Adenium swazicum:

2005-11-18T00:29:00.000+07:00

Adenium swazicum:
Light lilac to almost magenta flowers, it is supposed to be the hardiest Adenium. I like it because of its unusual flower color and floriferous nature as well as compact growth pattern. Most clones are very floppy with drooping stems but I have some selections with erect, upright growth and dark flowers of good form.

Purple Prince: a particularly good selection of A. swazicum we have identified for mass propagation.

I have never been able to set seed on an Adenium swazicum. Pollination is rather difficult because the flower tube is much more compact and tighter "down there" and it is difficult to expose the stigma without breaking the style. After pollination the ovary thickens and hangs on but never develops into pods even after several months. Hybrids with A. obesum as the pod parent are possible and are amongst the most floriferous of Adenium hybrids. Most A. swazicum clones and many hybrids are especially susceptible to spider mite infestation.

Adenium swazicum

Typical form

Northern form

Horticultural form

Adenium swazicum

Adenium swazicum [A.boehmianum Schinz var. swazicum (Stapf) Rowl.] (Figs. 6-8) occurs on the east coast of southern Africa, in Swaziland and adjacent parts of South Africa and Mozambique (Plaizier, 1980). It is a shrubby species, lower growing and more spreading than A.obesum or A.multiflorum (Dimmitt and Hanson, 1991). The stems of most clones are weak (decumbent), spreading horizontally or even drooping over a pot (Fig. 8). Mature plants have massive roots and thick stems, but a caudex is evident only in young ones. Cuttings develop the same characteristics in a few years. The long, narrow leaves are lighter green than in most adeniums, widest near the tips, and the margins are usually slightly crisped (wavy). In full sun the leaves tend to be folded upward along the midrib. Like A.obesum it is nearly evergreen if kept warm and watered, or can be forced into a long winter dormancy. Under warm greenhouse or tropical conditions growth ceases in autumn, but the leaves fall gradually throughout the winter; new growth begins early in spring.

Adenium swazicum usually flowers for a few months in late summer and fall. Some clones, however, are in almost continuous bloom, experiencing only a few weeks of rest in late winter. The broad-petaled flowers are uniform in color from the petal margins to the edge of the darker, unmarked throat and average 6-7 cm (2.5 inches) in diameter. The color is typically medium pink, but is deep purple in some clones (Fig. 8). Plaizier (1980) says that the flowers may be crimson or white, but such plants do not seem to be in cultivation. The anther appendages are short and hidden deep in the floral tube. Adenium swazicum is fairly easily found in cultivation, and is easy to grow.

Adenium swazicum Stapf
in Kew Bull. 1907: 53 (1907); in F.C. 4, 1: 513 (1907). — Codd in Fl. Southern Afr. 26: 281 (1963). — Plaizier in Meded. Landb. Wag. 80–12: 22, fig. 5, phot. 2, map 5 (1980). Type from Swaziland.

Synonyms:

Adenium boehmianum var. swazicum (Stapf) Rowley

in Cactus & Succ. Journ. (U.S.) 46: 164 (1974). Type as above.

Distribution:

Mozambique

M: between Magude and Chobela, fl. 21.i.1944, Torre 6375 (LISC; PRE).

Range:

S. Africa (eastern Transvaal and northern Zululand); Swaziland;

Habitat:

In open woodland on sand and often brackish soil 300–400 m.

Description:

Succulent shrub, 0·2–0·7 m. tall with a carrot-like tuber up to 1 m. in diam. with poisonous clear latex. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1–4 mm. long; lamina oblong to narrowly oblong, 3·5–9·1 times as long as wide, 4–11·5 x 0·5–3·1 cm., rounded and apiculate to mucronate, rarely emarginate, above pubescent, especially the midrib; secondary veins more or less inconspicuous, beneath pubescent. Inflorescence 1·5–3·5 x 1–2·5 cm.; bracts narrowly oblong to narrowly ovate, 3–10 x 2 mm. Pedicels 6–10(15) mm. long, tinged with pink or red. Calyx crimson or pink to green, narrowly oblong to narrowly ovate, 7–11 x 1·5–3 mm., pubescent outside, appressed-pubescent inside, especially towards the apex. Corolla crimson, deep mauve or pink to white; tube crimson to white, 2·2–3·5(4) times as long as the calyx, 2–3 x (0·6)1–1·3(1·9) cm., outside pubescent, only at the very base nearly glabrous, glabrescent inside; narrow basal portion 0·6–1 times as long as the calyx, 0·5–0·9 x 0·2–0·4 cm.; lobes deep mauve to white, obovate, 1·3–2·5(3·5) x 1–2 cm., apiculate, slightly undulate, both sides puberulous; a glabrous scale at the base (2)2·5 x 1·5 mm. Stamens included; free part of filament glabrous outside, lanate inside; anther 5–6·5 x 1–1·5 mm., hispid outside; cells 2–3 x 1 mm.; appendages (1·2)1·5–2 times as long as the anther, hispid. Pistil 9–11·5 mm. long; ovary glabrous or puberulous to sericeous; carpels 1·5–2·5 x 1–1·5 x 1–2·5 mm.; style 5·5–7(9·5) x 0·5 mm.; clavuncula 1–1·5 x 0·5–1 mm. Follicle grey-brown, 16x1 cm. Seed pale-brown, glabrous, 1·2–1·4 x 0·3 cm., comas dirty white, 2·8–3·5 cm. long.

Adenium socotranum

2005-11-17T23:33:00.000+07:00

Adenium socotranum originates from Socotra and is an endemic variety of bottle tree. www.cacti101.com

Adenium socotranum Vierh.(Fig.22) is endemic to the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean south of the Arabian peninsula. It is the giant of the genus, forming a conical trunk/caudex several metres tall and up to 2.4 m (eight feet) in diameter (Balfour, 1888; Rowley, 1983). It resembles a miniature baobab. The stems of the single clone available to us are strongly vertical and distinctly striated, a unique character in the genus. The leaves are about 12 cm (4.7") long, are widest (4 cm, 1.6") near the tip, and are dark green with a white midrib and light major veins. Balfour described the flowers as bright pink and twice the size of those of "mainland A.multiflorum" (he considered the Socotran population to be of this species), which would make them 10-13 cm (4-5") in diameter.

This magnificent species is virtually unknown in cultivation, so its performance cannot be described with confidence. The six-foot tall specimen in Hanson's collection is in leaf only during the summer months, leafing out even later than A.boehmianum. It has not flowered in seven years, although it did once when Frank Horwood owned it. A specimen at the Huntington Botanical Gardens has also not flowered to date. The only other cultivated specimen known to us is in the collection of the Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa (Myron Kimnach, written comm.).

Care: Full sun, ample to moderate water in warm season, drier in winter.

Adenium obesum (Desert rose)

2005-11-17T22:59:00.000+07:00

Homegrown plants: Desert Rose. Not only does it bloom in beautiful pink 2" flowers, but it also has an interesting caudex which attracts everyone's attention. Forms a caudex and begins to branch and flower at an early age. Great plant for bonsai.

Adenium obesum is actually a succulent member of the Oleander family. It originates in East Africa, from regions where it rains frequently in the summer, but is very dry in winter.

Blooming time: Spring, and a second time in September.

Culture: Desert Rose needs to have a soil mix of sand or brick chips mixed into regular soil, or a cactus mix. The soil should dry completely between waterings. For this reason clay pots are better suited for growing Desert Rose than plastic pots. Water sparingly during winter months.

Propagation: Desert Rose can be grown from seed or cuttings. The best time for either method is in the spring.

Seed: Scatter seed into a mixture of sand/soil. Seeds germinate easily, and seedlings grow without any special attention.

Cuttings: Propagation by cutting is easy. Cut end shoots and let dry for a day or two. Be careful of the toxic sap. Stick shoots into a pot of moist soil, and provide bottom heat. Keep soil moist.

Warning: All parts of Desert Rose are poisonous and should be kept out of reach of children and animals.

Recommended Temperature Zone:
sunset: 23-24
USDA: 11-12

Minimum Avg. Temperature: 55°F (12°C)

Heat Tolerance: Excellent

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Origin: Eastern Africa to southern Arabia

Growth Habits: Shrub to 5 feet tall (1.5 m)

Watering Needs: Water when growing, keep on the dry side in winter, needs perfect drainage, very rot prone

Propagation: Cuttings, seed

The desert rose produce a massive stem when growing older, but will start blooming when quite young, at only 6 inches tall (15 cm). It makes a nice Bonsai. As the related Oleander, its sap is poisonous.

A highly variable species with a vast range of plant, leaf and flower forms. Generally self sterile, though some clones do set seed when alone. Leaves can be small or large, smooth or tomentose; growth compact and bushy or tall and lanky; caudex short and fat or tall and narrow and flower color ranging from pure white through the typical pink to deep, almost blackish red.

A pure white selection (Khao Pra Pa Phan) from Thailand and a deep, almost blackish red first flower from one of our red crosses. The two show the color range that Adenium obesum can reach.

Links:
The Adenium Page

Check for Field Collection numbers at Ralph Martin's Site

Adenium: The Desert Rose

2005-11-17T22:48:00.000+07:00

Adenium obesum (Desert rose)

This 20-year-old 22-inch-high succulent was grown from seed in a nursery in a 10-gallon tub. Over a period of several years the tree was groomed and its roots were slowly raised in a training container. Branches were pruned to create Y-formation growth and rebranching, and they were carefully bent using aluminum bonsai wire. It is currently staged in a 16- by 14-inch glazed olive-green bonsai container. The plant receives full sun, and when it's not dormant, it is watered so that the soil is evenly and moderately moist.

Adenium obesum Bonsai

Adenium is a genus coming from eastern Africa and southern Arabia. Depending on the authors, there is either one species, Adenium obesum, with several subspecies, or up to eight separate species. Adenium as they age develop a attractive gnarled caudex, and many cultivars and hybrid exists with spectacular blossoms. The flowers are funnel shaped, and are produced in most of the growing season.

Adenium like full sun in summer, and they generally do better then, and bloom much more, with regular water and fertilizer. In winter they should stay above 45°F (7°C) at night with higher day temperature. They are then dormant and should be watered sparingly (although not kept bone dry). Depending on the variety and on the conditions they are kept in, they can be partially or totally deciduous in winter. Adenium generally rot from the bottom of the stem. When buying an adenium, it is often a good idea to check the firmness of the stem.

Eventually, most cultivar, in the ground, can reach 6 feet tall (1.8 m). They stay much smaller when raised in container, and make excellent patio plants when the climate is appropriate.