How to Grow Adenium Desert Rose

Adenium desert rose (Adenium obesum) is not a true rose, but a succulent plant native to eastern Africa. It grows up to 5 feet tall and has an unusual looking stem with a distended base. It produces large, tubular flowers in shades of white, purple, pink and red. The blooms appear in spring and again during late summer or early fall. Adenium desert rose may be damaged by temperatures that dip below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so they are often grown in planters and taken indoors at the end of the growing season. They require exposure to full sun and fast-draining soil.

Things You'll Need

Clay pot
Cactus potting mix

Liquid 20-20-20 fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a clay pot halfway with cactus potting mix. The pot needs at least one hole in the bottom to prevent overwatering, as Adenium desert rose can't survive in extremely damp soil.
- 2
  Place the roots of the plant into the potting mix at their original level. Finish filling the pot and add just enough water to lightly moisten the soil.
- 3
  Position the Adenium desert rose in a location that receives exposure to full sun.
- 4
  Water only when the soil dries out. Add enough water to evenly dampen the soil throughout the growing season. During winter, add just enough to barely moisten the soil.
- 5
  Feed with liquid, 20-20-20 fertilizer, from early spring until flowers appear. Dilute the fertilizer to half the recommended strength.
- 6
  Move the plant to a sunny indoor location in early fall, when temperatures are predicted to drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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