Adenium arabicum

Origin and Habitat: Adenium arabicum is native southern Arabian peninsula, It grows in an extremely arid environments squeezed in among granite rocks and cliffs together with several species of Euphorbia and many wild flowers.

Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Adan bush, Desert rose, Elephants Foot,
ITALIAN (Italiano): Rosa del deserto

Description: Adenium arabicum ia a remarkable succulent plant with a grotesquely swollen trunk which resembles a miniature baobab tree. It is a local or morphological form of Adenium obesum, but commonly used to be know as a separate species and very popular with 'fat plant' collectors. Adenium arabicum is similar in appearance to Adenium obesum, but creates a massive, more squat and fat caudex without much differentiation between trunk and branches and is the most succulent and "desert like" species.
Cultivation and Propagation: It is nearly evergreen if grown in a warm greenhouse or tropical conditions a and watered, but can loose its leaves and forced into a long winter dormancy in cooler climate. New growth begins early in spring. Outdoors it thrives on a xeric watering regime as required by cacti. Under ideal conditions, it can live for hundreds of years.
Pots and soils: It like pots with generous drain holes on sides and bottom, need a very porous potting medium
Exposition: Bright filtered light is best but in areas where light is not as burning, plants may be kept outdoors in full sun unprotected but remember that caudex is very susceptible to sun scalding. Plant becomes leggy in the shade and its flowering reduced.
Water: Water plants preferably in the early mornings until the soil is well wetted and let excess water drains from the pot base. Watering can be done as they become drier during active growth season. Never allow plants to dry out too often as this causes them to go into early dormancy. Many plants simply never get enough water to grow and flower adequately so keep them active and growing by providing them with all the essential necessities. Water sparingly during winter months.
Drought Tolerance: High.
Hardiness: It is frost sensitive and cannot endure freezing temperatures (U.S.D.A. Zone: 10a-12). If temperatures regularly fall below 2° C, the plant should be grown in a container for moving into a cold protected area. Partial defoliation may also occur at other times in response to weather change. As an indoor plant ensures a minimum temperature in winter of 10 °C. Where year-round temperature is sufficiently warm, desert rose will not become dormant and deciduous and may be ever-blooming.
Salt Tolerance: Medium.


Drought tolerance: High.

Hardiness: It is frost sensitive and cannot endure freezing temperatures.

Bonsai: This Adenium is suitable for most bonsai styles.

Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz