Here’s a detailed description of the Adenium plant, commonly known as the Desert Rose:

🌺 Adenium Plant Overview:
Common Names: Desert Rose, Mock Azalea, Sabi Star

Scientific Name: Adenium obesum

Family: Apocynaceae (Dogbane family)

Native To: Arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula

Type: Flowering succulent shrub or small tree

🌿 Growth Habit:
Form: Thick, swollen trunk (caudex) adapted to store water

Height: Typically 1–3 feet tall in containers; up to 6–10 feet in the ground under ideal conditions

Growth Rate: Moderate to slow, depending on care and climate

🍃 Foliage:
Leaves: Glossy, leathery, dark green; shape varies from narrow to oval

Arrangement: Clusters at the tips of branches

Deciduous Behavior: May shed leaves in winter or during drought

🌸 Flowers:
Color: Bright pink, red, white, or bi-color; often with contrasting centers

Shape: Trumpet-shaped, 5-petaled, resembling plumeria or azalea

Bloom Time: Spring through fall; can bloom year-round in warm climates

Attracts: Bees and other pollinators

🌞 Growing Conditions:
Light: Full sun; essential for flowering and caudex development

Soil: Well-draining, sandy or cactus mix

Water: Drought-tolerant; allow soil to dry between waterings

USDA Zones: Hardy in zones 10–11; grown as a container plant elsewhere

⚠️ Toxicity:
Warning: All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested; sap can irritate skin and eyes

Used In: Traditional poisons in some African cultures

🌱 Care Tips:
Watering: Reduce in winter when the plant goes dormant

Fertilizer: Balanced fertilizer during growing season; low nitrogen enhances blooms

Pruning: Can be pruned to shape; promotes branching and flowering

Propagation: Best from cuttings or seeds; cuttings retain parent traits but may not form a prominent caudex