Desert rose: care

The Adenium obesumwhich is the scientific name of the desert rose, has the following characteristics:

• It is a perennial shrub of the Apocynaceae family. It can reach heights of up to 3 metersalthough it is usual for it to be around 1 meter or less, especially in gardens and pots.
• One of the most distinctive features of this plant is its peculiar stem, which gets fatter as the plant grows, owing its scientific name to this characteristic. What succulent plant that is, the plant stores its water reservoirs in its thick stem, rather than in the leaves as others do.
• The adenium gives some striking tubular flowers with five petalsusually from a pink colour very intense and beautiful, although they can also be red or white.
• It is a very common plant in decoration, as well as the desert rose bonsai due to its peculiar shape.
• It is important to bear in mind that its sap is toxic, so we must be careful not to put it within the reach of children or pets, who could become intoxicated if they bite or ingest it by mistake.

The adenium, like many succulents, has quite strict requirements regarding the climate and humidity to which it is exposed, so it is convenient to pay special attention to these points. If you want your plant to stay as fit as possible, follow these guidelines on desert rose care:

• Climate and temperature: It needs high temperatures and withstands heat very well. It does not support low temperatures, especially if they drop below 10 ºC.
• Location and light: Due to the temperatures it needs, it must be placed in the sun so that it has a lot of light and a good temperature.
• Irrigation: once every 10 or 15 days in the warm months and once a month during the somewhat cold months if it is outdoors.
• Substratum: It is necessary that it has a fairly porous substrate to favor drainage and avoid puddles. Make sure the soil drains well or the pot has holes.
• Pass: use only compost for succulents and apply a little in the summer months.

Next, we will expand the information on the care of the adenium or desert rose.

This plant has its origin in very hot and dry areas of Africa and Arabia, so, with this alone, we can already get a fairly clear idea of ​​what its needs are in terms of temperature and environment. The desert rose is very resistant to heat.but does not tolerate temperatures below 10 ºC.

With this in mind, it is very likely that you will need to plant your adenium in a pot, in order to keep it indoors in the cold months, or you will need to repot it if temperatures in your area drop below 10ºC in the cold months.

As we have indicated before, nothing better than looking at the conditions of the original environment of a plant to know what its needs are. Therefore, the desert rose, true to its name, must be located in full suneven in summer and in hot areas.

This plant needs a lots of lighting to develop properly and, although it can be grown indoors, it will need a location with as much direct light as possible, both in the cold and warm months.

As with a large number of succulent plants, adenium is especially sensitive to excess moisture, which is the most dangerous factor. Always water without wetting the plant or its flowers, especially when the sun shines on them, and don’t do it until the substrate is almost dry altogether. To get the irrigation right, keep in mind that, normally, it will be enough to water every 10 or 15 days in the warm months, and once a month in the cold ones.

The most important thing with the soil or substrate of this plant is that it provides as effective drainage as possible. For this, it is best to mix peat with river sand or other porous materials that contribute to this effect, such as coconut fiber. It doesn’t have to be very nutrient-rich soil, but if the drainage isn’t good enough, the desert rose will suffer. If you plant your desert rose in a pot, make sure it has drainage holes.

We recommend you read this other post to learn more about How to make a substrate for succulent plants and cacti.

In the warmer months, the plant will appreciate an extra supply of nutrients in its substrate to develop well and flower. To do this, always use specific fertilizer for succulent plants or gross, and apply it following the specific instructions on the container, no more than two or three times in summer. If you abuse the fertilizer, the plant can suffer from an excess of some nutrients that lead to a disease.

It can prune adenium to shape that we like the most, as do those who apply the bonsai technique. However, it is good to fertilize properly before each pruning so that the plant is strong, and it is essential to make the cuts so that water does not accumulate in them. Apply to cuts cinnamon powder It will help them close sooner and without fungal infections.

Care must be taken when using pruning as a flowering stimulant, as it should not be used unless it is very necessary, since this type of pruning in particular is very aggressive for the plant.

If you liked this plant, we recommend you learn more about it at this link to 25 names of desert plants, characteristics and photos.

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