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Desert rose

Adenium obesum

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Desert rose · Adenium obesum

A swollen caudex with vivid flowers that bloom through the year in full sun.

Care and placement

Needs full sun (6+ hours), a very gritty mix, and deep watering only once dry, with almost none in dormancy; keep above about 13 °C (55 °F).

Draft mature dimensions

Maximum height (cm): 100 cm · Maximum spread (cm): 80 cm

Things to consider

HIGHLY TOXIC: the sap contains cardiac (digitalis-like) glycosides, causing vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, heart rhythm disturbances and possibly death in dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA). The sap irritates skin and eyes: wear gloves when pruning; keep from children and pets.

Unknown evidence does not mean safe. Decorative plants are not automatically edible.

Information is compiled from multiple reputable sources for reference. If you spot an error, please contact us so we can check and update it.

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How to grow and care for it

  1. Planting and pot

    Use a gritty, fast-draining mix (cactus mix with perlite or pumice) in a pot with drainage holes. Keep the caudex partly above the soil. After repotting, wait a few days before watering.

  2. Light

    Needs full sun, 6 or more hours daily; indoors a bright south or west window. Too little sun stretches it and stops flowering.

  3. Watering

    In the growing season water deeply once the soil is dry; in dormancy (cool) keep it nearly dry, watering every 3–4 weeks or less. Better too little than too much; overwatering in dormancy is the most common cause of caudex and root rot. A soft, mushy caudex signals rot.

  4. Feeding

    Half-strength 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer monthly in spring and summer; a slightly higher-phosphorus mix supports flowering; stop in dormancy; flush occasionally to prevent salt buildup.

  5. Pruning

    Prune after flowering or in early spring to branch and shape; cut branch tips just above a node or leaf scar. Wear gloves because the sap is toxic.

  6. Propagation

    Stem cuttings at least 15 cm long: dry them 48 hours in a warm, dry place out of direct sun before planting; or sow seed (sprinkle on the mix and cover lightly with sand). Cuttings are faster and more reliable than seed.

  7. Pests and common problems

    Caudex and root rot from overwatering, especially in dormancy: stop watering and let it dry out; if rot is suspected, unpot, trim affected roots and replant in fresh dry mix. A soft caudex usually means too much water.

  8. For more flowers

    For more blooms: lots of direct sun, correct watering in growth and a dry cool rest, light phosphorus in warm months and pruning after each flush. It typically blooms twice (early spring and early autumn); too little sun, wrong watering or poor nutrition stops flowering.