Read on to find out more about these interesting plants, where they live in the wild, and how to take care of them at home.
Adeniums are beloved by plant lovers from surprisingly different backgrounds. Their many blooms give them the common name Desert Rose, but their flowers look more like those of an oleander, to which they are related in a distant way. These flowers are everblooming when in growth, a rare feature sought out by houseplant growers. Adeniums have a sculptural caudex, making them beloved by caudiciform collectors and those who love oddities. Succulent collectors embrace them as their own. Even bonsai growers are enthusiastic about their treelike form and ability to adapt well to very small pots.
Adeniums grow naturally in the deserts of Africa, along the Arabian Peninsula, and even on the mysterious island of Socotra. While it’s dry in the winter, adeniums’ caudex has changed to store water for when it rains in the summer. Losing their leaves at this time also helps conserve moisture. In their natural habitat, they often bloom early in the spring, before their leaves turn color. There is nothing more stunning than a huge, weathered adenium in full bloom with no leaves.
It’s not surprising that adenium plants have evolved into many different species, each with its own style. And those are just the naturally occurring types; there are many more hybrids as well. Adeniums germinate easily and grow quickly from seed. This lets gardeners choose the reddest or darkest purple flowers, quickly making hybrids that are very different from the colors flowers naturally have. Many flowers have multi-colored hues. As an example, they got adeniums to bloom twice as many times! Mark Dimmitt from Tucson, Arizona started this project, but Southeast Asian growers later picked it up when they saw that these desert roses wouldn’t die in their hot, humid, and wet climate. Also, adeniums don’t dormancy like they do in other parts of the world; in Southeast Asia, they grow all year, with only a slowdown in the winter. This makes hybridization happen even faster.
Another good thing about adenium plants is that they are easy to graft. This means that once the grower has crossed two plants to get the traits they want, they can take cuttings from the best plant and graft them onto regular adenium stock, keeping the traits they want. Occasionally you’ll even see multiple flower colors grafted onto one plant. People can now finally enjoy the fruits of decades of careful selection in the form of many new and unusual hybrids.
These plants are from warm areas that have wet summers and dry winters. Because of this, they won’t live outside unless you’re in the most southern and safe parts of California, like San Diego. They like a sunny warm room indoors or a greenhouse. This really can’t be stressed enough. They like it warm! Adeniums like direct sunlight, but if you put them within a foot of a window, their caudex will probably burn, which will look bad and last for a long time.
Adeniums need about average watering as houseplants in the summer. The top layer should dry out, but the soil should stay moist. Don’t let them go dry at this time, as their growth will stall, followed by defoliation. During the fall, especially if your room cools down, most adeniums will drop their leaves. It’s best to water them less often at that point and treat them like a cactus: only water them when they’ve been dry for a while and only barely cover them with water when you do.
For year-round growth, you can have a room with lots of light and warmth, like they do in Southeast Asia. If your plant seems like it wants to keep growing in the fall, do what it says and water it less in the winter, but not too little. During the spring, when you see new growth, slowly increase watering again. Overwatering during dormancy is the number one way to kill your adenium. Adeniums like a gritty cactus mix that is free-draining. You may choose to lift the roots an inch or two when you re-pot them. This will show the swollen and sculptural root system over time. Most adeniums grow sparsely branched and upright. Some growers choose to cut back their plants’ growth by a third in early spring to get more branches and a roof with more curves. Some growers even wire their branches. Adeniums appreciate food when in growth and should be fertilized with all purpose fertilizer. This will help with vigorous growth and abundant blooms.
Because there are too many hybrids to list all of them here, we’ll just talk about a few adenium species, even though they can be hard to find.
Adenium obesum. Many of the variants you’ll see are nestled under A. obesum, and if you are purchasing a generic adenium it’s likely A. obesum. A. They can be found from Mozambique to Kenya and across the semiarid desert where the Sahara ends in northern Africa. Flowers tend to be red or pink. They can get very large, as the name implies, in habitat.
Adenium obesum var. Somalense. This plant comes from Somalia and has a single large underground caudex that can be grown. However, if you see one for sale with this form, be wary because poaching is common in the trade. This adenium is beloved for its thin, shiny, dark, patterned leaves. A. obesum var. Somalense is particularly fussy about dry winters. The flowers are pink, but with lighter patches, giving it a multicolored pink and white look. It can get quite massive in habitat.
Adenium obesum var. Socotranum. From the island of Socotra. This is one of the most sought-after adenium for collectors, due to its naturally upright form and rarity. They can grow a single trunk for many years before branching out, much higher than other adeniums. In fact, this form is so desirable that many growers will train other A. obesum in the ‘Socotranum’ form, pruning them low and forcing upright stature. Don’t worry, though—it will still develop a stout trunk over time. A. Socotranum is the only adenium that grows best in the winter. Its leaves usually come out in late summer or early fall, but it still needs warmth at that time. It goes dormant with summer heat. This adenium grows up to eight feet across in its natural habitat, which is too bad it grows slowly in gardens.
Adenium arabicum. This adenium comes from the Arabian Peninsula and naturally grows in a squat shape. It doesn’t have the typical taper or tall, straight branches that most adeniums do, which is why collectors want it so much. The plant’s roots grow horizontally from the base and in a clean, repeating pattern. This makes them perfect for raising the plant. The glossy leaves are shorter and wider than many adeniums. Flowers are pink.
Adenium boehmianum. It comes from Namibia and Angola and is called “bushman’s poison” because the San people used the plant’s poison to tip their poison arrows. This adenium grows a tall tapered caudex and is shy to leaf in the dry Namib desert. The leaves of this adenium are the biggest. They are dull and gray, and they feel a little fuzzy when you touch them. The flower is also muted, being dull pink with a dark ruby red center. Habitat plants are medium in size, still larger than a person. As one of the hardiest adeniums to cold weather, this one does well as a landscape plant in Southern California.
Adenium swazicum. If you’ve been to Kruger Park in South Africa, you should have paid close attention to the rocks because this adenium grows there. Its range pushes from Kruger south into Swaziland (now Eswatini) giving this plant its specific epithet. It has a hot pink flower and many branches that form a single large underground stem. It doesn’t have the usual twisted roots right below the surface. Habitat plants tend to be on the smaller size, for adenium. Also, this adenium is one of the coldest-hardy types. It does well as a landscape plant in Southern California.
Adeniums come in a lot of different types at Flora Grubb Gardens. We grow all of them ourselves down at Grubb. Come see us and bring one home!.
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Adeniums are a genus of beautiful flowering plants that have recently surged in popularity With their colorful flowers and thick, sculpted trunks, it’s easy to see why adeniums make such striking container plants
I’ve been growing adeniums for years and love their unique appearance. But one question I’m often asked is: how many different adenium varieties are there?
This seems like a simple question, but the answer is more complex than you might think. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the classification and naming of adeniums to try to pin down the number of existing varieties.
A Contested Genus
The genus Adenium is part of the Apocynaceae or dogbane family. It was first described scientifically in 1819. Adeniums are native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Originally, botanists recognized around 12 separate adenium species. However, more recent classifications have consolidated these into just 5 accepted species:
- Adenium obesum
- Adenium boehmianum
- Adenium multiflorum
- Adenium oleifolium
- Adenium swazicum
Some of the original 12 species names are now considered synonyms of A. obesum. Others have been reclassified as subspecies or varieties within the 5 main species.
So why the shifting classifications? It comes down to inconsistent definitions of what constitutes a distinct adenium “species”. Many kinds of plants can hybridize and create intermediate forms that blur the lines between species. Adeniums readily hybridize, making species hard to pin down.
A Proliferation of Hybrids
To make things even more complicated, there are countless named adenium hybrids and cultivars. Nurseries and collectors have bred adeniums extensively to develop new colors shapes and growth forms.
Some of the most popular hybrid groups include:
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Obesum hybrids – Derived from Adenium obesum, these hybrids come in a rainbow of colors. Popular varieties include ‘Jodi’, ‘Mai Thai’, and ‘Tiki’.
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Arabicum hybrids – Bred for cold hardiness and often having slim, tapering trunks. ‘Arabian Night’ is a famous example.
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Multiflorum hybrids – Known for prolific flowering. Varieties like ‘Blood Red’ and ‘Crimson Star’ fall into this group.
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Boehmianum hybrids – Adding genes from A. boehmianum confers some drought and cold tolerance. For example, ‘Sangria’ and ‘Maui Sunset’.
As you can see, the number of named adenium varieties numbers in the hundreds, if not thousands! New cultivars are still being actively developed today.
So How Many Varieties Are There?
Given the complex taxonomy and extensive hybridization of adeniums, there’s no definitive answer to the total number of varieties in existence.
Based on the 5 accepted species, there are likely only around 5 naturally occurring, “true” adenium varieties in the wild. However, the proliferation of man-made hybrids and cultivars has exploded the number of unique, named varieties into the hundreds or more.
From a collector’s perspective, the possibilities can seem endless! While the classifications continue to evolve, we can say for sure that adeniums encompass an incredibly diverse palette of colors, shapes, and growing habits – more than enough to satisfy any plant lover.
As you search for new adeniums, don’t get too hung up on species names or counts. Focus instead on finding eye-catching plants that fit your climate and growing conditions. With some basic care, these succulent-like desert roses will thrive and reward you with unique, tropical flowers year after year.
Stunning Varieties of Adenium | Types of Desert Rose
FAQ
How many varieties of desert rose are there?
What is the lifespan of an Adenium plant?
How many colors are there in Adenium?
What are the different types of Adenium arabicum?
How many varieties of Adenium are there?
The Adenium or Desert Rose varieties consists of about 12 species. Adenium obesum is the most common. They all need lots of sunlight and well draining soil. [DETAILS]
Is Adenium a good plant?
Adenium (also known as desert rose) is a beautiful plant species that is native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is an attractive plant with a unique structure that makes it a popular choice for gardeners and plant enthusiasts alike. Adeniums come in different types that vary in their appearance, growth, and care requirements.
What is Adenium arabicum?
Adenium arabicum, commonly known as the Desert Rose, is a unique and attractive species of the Adenium genus, prized for its thick, bulbous caudex and its ability to adapt to harsh desert climates.
What is Adenium somalense & Adenium multiflorum?
Adenium Somalense is a rare variety of Adenium plant that is native to Somalia. It has a woody stem with a swollen base and produces large, showy pink or white flowers. 1. Adenium Multiflorum Adenium Multiflorum is a miniature variety of Adenium plant that grows up to 12 inches tall.
What colors do Adenium flowers come in?
The flowers come in a range of colors, including pink, red, white, and purple. These blooms are noted for their showy appearance and beautiful coloration. 26. Adenium obesum ‘Double Purple Charms’ This unique and eye-catching Adenium variety features beautiful, double-layered flowers in shades of purple and white with a unique, striped pattern.
What color is Adenium obesum?
This particular cultivar of Adenium features striking dark red flowers with a black throat that bloom in clusters at the tips of the plant’s branches. 32. Adenium obesum ‘Picotee’ The plant is native to sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and is prized for its striking, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in a variety of colors. 33.