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The desert rose (Adenium obesum) is a striking plant with succulent stems and deep red flowers. It is native to the Sahel regions, south of the Sahara. This includes areas from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan. It is also found in tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia.  The Desert Rose is also known as Desert Azalea, Mock Azalea, Sabi Star, Impala Lily, and Kudu Lily.

Every part of these plants demands interest. The Desert Rose plant has dramatically swollen stems on older plants that resemble a bonsai tree. This succulent provides bright flowers and while not in bloom it has interesting tight clusters of narrow, green leaves.

However, there is an important consideration when growing this plant, particularly in the house. Its sap is poisonous and should never come into contact with children or pets. It is suggested that if you get sap on yourself while handling the plant, wash your hands immediately.

Growing Conditions

Light: Full sun. Perfect for a sunny window.
Water: Water during the summer and spring. Reduce water in the winter, but keep hydrated enough to retain its leaves.
Temperature: Keep at least 50 F at all times; if you keep temperatures of 60 F or higher during the winter, the plant may retain its leaves.
Soil: A well-drained succulent mix, (We recommend Miracle Grow) with an ideal pH around 6.0 (slightly acidic).
Fertilizer: Fertilize during spring and summer with controlled-release fertilizer or liquid fertilizer according to label directions.

Propagation

Propagation is typically by seed. If your plant develops a seed pod, plant the seeds as soon as possible after the pod ripens. This will maximize the chance of germination.

The fresher the seeds, the better. If you don’t have a mature plant for harvesting seeds, ask your seed supplier about freshness before buying.

Some gardeners use a heat source to maintain the containers at 80-85°F. Otherwise, the containers should be kept as close as possible to that temperature range. Once the seeds germinate, the plants should be ready for moving to a pot in about a month.

The desert rose can be propagated from branch cuttings. However, the plants often fail to develop the characteristic bulbous stem, which is highly desired.

When Do Desert Roses Bloom?

Desert roses typically bloom for several weeks throughout spring and summer. With proper care, some new and improved cultivars bloom year-round.

Again, be patient. Desert rose plants may not produce blooms for several months. If the plant is healthy and growing conditions are right, it will eventually produce blooms.

Reasons for Desert Rose Plants Not Blooming

If you recently repotted your desert rose, it can go through a period of rebellion. The plant will need time to adjust to its new environment. For a while, the plant will divert its energy into growing roots instead of producing blooms.

As a general rule, desert rose plants need repotting about every two years, preferably in mid-spring. Move the plant to a container just one size larger.

Use a potting mix that drains well and ensure the container has a drainage hole in the bottom. To give the plant time to adjust, withhold water for a week or two after repotting.

Desert rose plants are drought tolerant and can live several weeks without irrigation. However, the plant needs a fair amount of water to produce blooms. Problems arise when the plant is allowed to stand in soggy soil or water.

Not only will the plant stop blooming, but poorly drained soil can easily cause the plant to rot and die. Water the plant regularly during spring and summer, then cut back when the plant is dormant during fall and winter. In the ground, desert rose prefers rich, slightly alkaline soil.

Desert rose requires plenty of sunlight. A lack of light is the reason the desert rose plants do not bloom. Place the plant where it receives at least five to six hours of sun per day, and preferably even more.

Desert rose doesn’t require a lot of fertilizer. However, regular feeding ensures the plant receives the nutrients it needs. This helps it produce blooms.

Feed an outdoor plant two or three times during spring and summer, using a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.

Feed indoor Adeniums every week during spring and summer, using a water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength. To encourage flowering, it may also help to use a phosphorus-rich fertilizer or bone meal.

Repotting

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. Place the plant in its new pot and backfill with potting soil, spreading the roots out as you repot.

Leave the plant dry for about a week. Then, start to water lightly. This will reduce the risk of root rot.

Varieties

Adenium belongs to the genera Apocynaceae, which is native to Africa, the Middle East, and Madagascar.

The desert rose (A. obesum) is the only Adenium found in wide cultivation.

It has been hybridized extensively to obtain different flower colors, including orange, white, striped and the traditional red.

Grower’s Tips

These are not difficult plants to grow well, provided they get enough sunlight and warmth. Like all succulents, they cannot tolerate sitting in water. Use a specialized soil mix designed for succulents and cacti. We recommend Miricle Grow Cactus and Succulent Soil.

TOXINS:

Cardioactive steroids and cardiac glycosides are found throughout the entire plant. Hongheloside A, D, E, and F; digitalinum verum, somaline, digitalinum verum hexacetate, digitalis like glycosides.

POISONING SYMPTOMS

Severe gastrointestinal upset, Vomiting, diarrhea, obvious abdominal pain, cardiac abnormalities, decreased body temperature, anorexia, and inactivity.

EXTRA INFORMATION:

A species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Adenium obesum has long been used as a poison. In Africa until the 1980s, various tribes used the twigs, bark, and sap of the plant. They produced a powerful toxin for hunting.

They generally accomplished this by pulverizing the twigs and bark into a putty. They then boiled it with water over an open fire. All that remained was a paste-like substance. They would then dip their arrowheads into it.

Surprisingly powerful, these poison arrows bring down large game.

The plant was and still is an important part of traditional medicine. In Somalia, the roots are mashed and then boiled in water to make nose drops for a stuffy nose. In the Sahel, another decoration is used to treat venereal diseases. It is also used as a lotion to treat skin diseases and kill lice.

The latex of the plant is also used for tooth decay and as a disinfectant for septic wounds. In Kenya, the bark is used as an abortifacient. It is chewed as a primitive form of “plan B” to induce abortion.

The stems are also powdered and applied to livestock such as camels and cattle to kill skin parasites.

As stated above, Adenium obesum has been intentionally decocted to create poisons capable of bringing down large game. As such it should be considered deadly and animals should be prevented from having access to it. Author L.P.A.

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa, known by its acronym PROTA wrote the following in regards to the plants’ toxic and beneficial effects on the body:

Some 30 cardiotoxic glycosides are present in Adenium obesum. This has been demonstrated. They act in a similar way as digitalis from Digitalis. Digitalis acts upon the Na+K+-ATPase enzyme that regulates the concentrations of Na+ and K+ ions in body cells, and so also modifies the Ca++ concentration.

In low doses, it is used to treat congestive heart failure (CHF). It also treats heart rhythm problems (atrial arrhythmias). In high doses, it leads to systolic heart failure and death.

The ethanol extract of the roots slows down the growth of Bacillus subtilis. However, it has not shown activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It also lacks activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albida.

Extracts from the root have shown a cytotoxic effect against several carcinoma cell lines.

The aqueous stem bark extract is a potential acaricide. It shows high toxicity on all stadia of development of the ticks Amblyomma spp. and Boophilus spp.

How Bad Is It?

The plant is described as extremely distasteful. It is unlikely that a pet would tolerate consuming large quantities. However, it only takes a small amount to be lethal. Induce vomiting or extra intoxication occurs.

Seek Emergency Veterinary Treatment. Medications to counteract the effect on the heart are necessary. In many cases, even with prompt veterinary treatment, the animal will still die.

The roots and stems contain the same glycosides and in similar amounts. Oleandrigenin has cytotoxic effects. Some glycosides derived from it are being studied as potential components of anticancer drugs.

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