The desert rose is not a rose at all but adenium, a succulent with a swollen, bottle-like trunk and bright flowers that resemble small lilies or roses. It is grown as a houseplant and often shaped like a bonsai. Here is what the plant is, how to plant and care for a desert rose so it flowers, and why it should be handled with care.
Adenium obesum is a succulent shrub or small tree of the dogbane family, native to dry regions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its main feature is the caudex — a swollen trunk base where the plant stores water. The trumpet-shaped flowers are 5–7 cm across, pink, red, white or bicoloured; indoors adenium flowers mostly from spring to autumn. It was called a «rose» only for the beauty of its blooms.
Yes. Adenium’s milky sap contains toxic compounds, so the plant is dangerous if swallowed, and the sap can irritate skin and eyes. Wear gloves when pruning or repotting, wash your hands afterwards and keep the pot out of reach of children and pets.
Light. As much sun as possible — a south window is best, and in summer it can go out on a balcony. In shade it stretches and will not flower.
Temperature. 22–30 °C in summer; a winter rest at 12–15 °C. Below 10 °C the roots may rot.
Watering. In summer, only when the soil has dried completely; in winter very rarely or not at all, especially if the plant has dropped its leaves. Overwatering is the main cause of death.
Feeding. Every 2–3 weeks in spring and summer with a succulent or flowering-plant fertiliser.
Use a loose, free-draining mix: cactus compost with perlite, fine gravel or coir. A wide, shallow pot with large drainage holes works best. Repot young plants every spring and mature ones every 2–3 years. When repotting you can raise the caudex slightly above the soil to show off its sculptural shape. Do not water for a few days afterwards.
Adenium seed germinates readily: lay it on moist compost, cover lightly and keep warm (about 25–30 °C) under a lid. Seedlings appear within days, and the trunk starts thickening in the first year. Seedlings usually flower in their second or third year. Double or bicoloured varieties are propagated by cuttings or grafting, because seedlings may not come true. More indoor succulents are in succulents at home.
Usually not enough sun, no winter rest or a pot that is too big.
In winter it is a natural rest period. In summer the cause is overwatering, draughts or a sudden change in light.
Only out of their reach: the sap is poisonous.
In summer, once the soil is completely dry; in winter, very rarely.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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