Get ready to light up your garden with the dazzling desert rose, also known as 'Adenium obesum', native to Southwestern Africa! It's easy to fall in love with this stunning beauty; it's not really a rose but has amazingly beautiful trumpet flowers that people love.
Adenium obesum is a deciduous plant with a smaller caudex than Adenium arabicum, which is most frequently used as a desert rose bonsai plant. The Adenium obesum, with its long, narrow, and pointed leaves, grows in clusters at the tips of the branches.
The leaves are typically bright green, waxy with reddish edges, and shiny on both the upper and lower sides, distinguishing them from the arabicum (desert rose). It can grow up to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide, making it a true showstopper among other succulent plants.
The blooms of the low-maintenance desert rose plant are trumpet-shaped bright pink, red, and white flowers that appear in spring and summer, have a sweet fragrance, and can last for several weeks. This desert rose can be pruned to produce a compact canopy of leaves and flowers.
There's no way to go wrong growing these gorgeous succulents as long as they're kept at the proper temperature!
Watering Needs
The desert rose plant can easily go a month or more without water. If they don't get enough water, the stems will start to show signs of discoloration and then start to shrivel up due to a lack of water.
If you notice this and then give them water again, the stems will swell up again as your adenium desert rose Adenium obesum starts to absorb water into its stems.
Light Requirements
The desert rose succulent requires a lot of light and should be grown in either full sun or partial shade. New plants can get burned in the full sun as they were probably grown in a greenhouse; therefore, gradually increase their exposure to sunlight.
If the sun is too bright and is burning your plant's leaves, consider purchasing a sunshade or moving the plant to a more shaded location.
Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs
The adenium desert rose is like a very airy, porous, nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Soggy, wet soil can damage your succulent and contribute to bacterial and fungal rot. As an alternative, you can create your own potting mix by combining equal portions of perlite, coarse sand, and good natural potting soil. Ideally, you want to use our specialized potting mix that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your succulent to thrive.
Natural fertilizers with an equal ratio of 5-10-5 (NPK) also last longer and keep your soil alive by adding other beneficial compounds and microbes that encourage plant health and nutrient absorption. So, skip those harsh chemicals and give your succulent some love with some awesome fertilizer!
Hardiness Zones & More
The desert rose thrives best at 65 to 75 degrees F. A well-draining potting mix and drainage holes in the potting container will help you maintain temperatures and prevent too much moisture.
If you plant desert rose succulents outdoors, they grow best in USDA zones 11 and 12 in cooler zones. If you live in a colder climate, you should put them in a pot, and they can then be kept outdoors during the summer and brought in as the temperature drops.
The Bottom Line
Overall, the desert rose, or Adenium obesum, is a stunning and unique succulent plant that captures the essence of the desert with its striking appearance. With its thick, succulent stems and beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers, it adds a touch of exotic beauty to any garden or indoor space. If you want to learn more about this fascinating desert rose, you can check out our article, "Everything You Need to Know About the Desert Rose." It's a great resource to delve deeper into the world of desert roses and discover all there is to know about their care, propagation, and more.
We think you will love the Aeonium obesum desert rose plant. Order your very own desert rose today and start enjoying its beauty in no time!
Bloom Season
Flower Color
Growth Rate
Hardiness Zone
Mature Size
Plant Type
Sun Exposure
Toxicity
Watering Needs
| Bloom Season | Spring autumn |
|---|---|
| Bloom Season | Spring, summer |
| Botanical Name | Adenium obesum |
| Botanical Name | Adenium obesum 'JK' |
| Common Name | Desert rose |
| Common Name | Desert rose, impala lily |
| Dormancy | Winter |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Flower Color | Pink, red, rose |
| Flower Color | Pink, red, white, rose |
| Genus | Adenium |
| Growth Habit | Shrub |
| Growth Habit | Trunk (caudex) shape |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Hardiness Zone | 10, 11, 12 |
| Hardiness Zone | 11, 12 |
| Mature Size | 3–9 ft. tall, 3–5 ft. wide |
| Mature Size | 9 ft. tall, 5 ft. wide |
| Native Area | southwestern Africa, Arabian peninsula |
| Plant Type | Perennial succulent |
| Plant Type | Succulent, tree |
| Propagation | By cuttings, seedss, offsets |
| Propagation | By seeds, stem cuttings |
| Resistance | Drought tolerant, deer resistance, mild frost tolerant |
| Resistance | Drought tolerant, heat resistance, pest resistance |
| Soil PH | 6.5, Acidic, Neutral |
| Soil Type | specialized succulent potting mix |
| Soil Type | Succulents potting mix soil |
| Special Features | Bonsai plant, easy to grow |
| Special Features | Caudiciform growth, showy flowers |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun, partial shade |
| Toxicity | Toxic for humans, toxic for dogs, toxic for cats(Keep away from Children) |
| Toxicity | Toxic for humans, toxic for pets |
| Watering Needs | Low |
- Description
- Key Plant Features
Get ready to light up your garden with the dazzling desert rose, also known as 'Adenium obesum', native to Southwestern Africa! It's easy to fall in love with this stunning beauty; it's not really a rose but has amazingly beautiful trumpet flowers that people love.
Adenium obesum is a deciduous plant with a smaller caudex than Adenium arabicum, which is most frequently used as a desert rose bonsai plant. The Adenium obesum, with its long, narrow, and pointed leaves, grows in clusters at the tips of the branches.
The leaves are typically bright green, waxy with reddish edges, and shiny on both the upper and lower sides, distinguishing them from the arabicum (desert rose). It can grow up to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide, making it a true showstopper among other succulent plants.
The blooms of the low-maintenance desert rose plant are trumpet-shaped bright pink, red, and white flowers that appear in spring and summer, have a sweet fragrance, and can last for several weeks. This desert rose can be pruned to produce a compact canopy of leaves and flowers.
There's no way to go wrong growing these gorgeous succulents as long as they're kept at the proper temperature!
Watering Needs
The desert rose plant can easily go a month or more without water. If they don't get enough water, the stems will start to show signs of discoloration and then start to shrivel up due to a lack of water.
If you notice this and then give them water again, the stems will swell up again as your adenium desert rose Adenium obesum starts to absorb water into its stems.
Light Requirements
The desert rose succulent requires a lot of light and should be grown in either full sun or partial shade. New plants can get burned in the full sun as they were probably grown in a greenhouse; therefore, gradually increase their exposure to sunlight.
If the sun is too bright and is burning your plant's leaves, consider purchasing a sunshade or moving the plant to a more shaded location.
Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs
The adenium desert rose is like a very airy, porous, nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Soggy, wet soil can damage your succulent and contribute to bacterial and fungal rot. As an alternative, you can create your own potting mix by combining equal portions of perlite, coarse sand, and good natural potting soil. Ideally, you want to use our specialized potting mix that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your succulent to thrive.
Natural fertilizers with an equal ratio of 5-10-5 (NPK) also last longer and keep your soil alive by adding other beneficial compounds and microbes that encourage plant health and nutrient absorption. So, skip those harsh chemicals and give your succulent some love with some awesome fertilizer!
Hardiness Zones & More
The desert rose thrives best at 65 to 75 degrees F. A well-draining potting mix and drainage holes in the potting container will help you maintain temperatures and prevent too much moisture.
If you plant desert rose succulents outdoors, they grow best in USDA zones 11 and 12 in cooler zones. If you live in a colder climate, you should put them in a pot, and they can then be kept outdoors during the summer and brought in as the temperature drops.
The Bottom Line
Overall, the desert rose, or Adenium obesum, is a stunning and unique succulent plant that captures the essence of the desert with its striking appearance. With its thick, succulent stems and beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers, it adds a touch of exotic beauty to any garden or indoor space. If you want to learn more about this fascinating desert rose, you can check out our article, "Everything You Need to Know About the Desert Rose." It's a great resource to delve deeper into the world of desert roses and discover all there is to know about their care, propagation, and more.
We think you will love the Aeonium obesum desert rose plant. Order your very own desert rose today and start enjoying its beauty in no time!
Bloom Season
Flower Color
Growth Rate
Hardiness Zone
Mature Size
Plant Type
Sun Exposure
Toxicity
Watering Needs
| Bloom Season | Spring autumn |
|---|---|
| Bloom Season | Spring, summer |
| Botanical Name | Adenium obesum |
| Botanical Name | Adenium obesum 'JK' |
| Common Name | Desert rose |
| Common Name | Desert rose, impala lily |
| Dormancy | Winter |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Flower Color | Pink, red, rose |
| Flower Color | Pink, red, white, rose |
| Genus | Adenium |
| Growth Habit | Shrub |
| Growth Habit | Trunk (caudex) shape |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Hardiness Zone | 10, 11, 12 |
| Hardiness Zone | 11, 12 |
| Mature Size | 3–9 ft. tall, 3–5 ft. wide |
| Mature Size | 9 ft. tall, 5 ft. wide |
| Native Area | southwestern Africa, Arabian peninsula |
| Plant Type | Perennial succulent |
| Plant Type | Succulent, tree |
| Propagation | By cuttings, seedss, offsets |
| Propagation | By seeds, stem cuttings |
| Resistance | Drought tolerant, deer resistance, mild frost tolerant |
| Resistance | Drought tolerant, heat resistance, pest resistance |
| Soil PH | 6.5, Acidic, Neutral |
| Soil Type | specialized succulent potting mix |
| Soil Type | Succulents potting mix soil |
| Special Features | Bonsai plant, easy to grow |
| Special Features | Caudiciform growth, showy flowers |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun, partial shade |
| Toxicity | Toxic for humans, toxic for dogs, toxic for cats(Keep away from Children) |
| Toxicity | Toxic for humans, toxic for pets |
| Watering Needs | Low |