Desert rose (lat. Adenium obesum), a plant from the evergreen family (Apocynaceae) that is grown as a houseplant in our region.
It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula.
It belongs to succulents, it is characterized by a thickened stem (it looks a bit like a bonsai), which is why it got its name obesumwhich in translation means fat, that is, huge.
The thickened stem serves to store water, so this plant tolerates dry periods very well.
The desert rose is a truly beautiful plant that amazes observers with its flowers. Many people also adore it because it looks like a bonsai and the possibility to form different shapes during cultivation.
This is achieved by bending and intertwining the branches and by pruning, which is achieved so that the plant has a denser canopy and the desired shape.
In nature, it grows up to three meters in height, and when we grow it as a houseplant, it grows up to one meter.
Leathery leaves 5-15 cm long and 2-8 cm wide grow on the tops of the branches. The flowers are single, about 5 cm in diameter with 5 red or pink petals, the inside of which is whitish.
Reproduction and cultivation of desert rose
This plant is most easily propagated by cuttings, but it is also possible to grow it from seeds.
When it comes to the blooming of the desert rose, it should be said that both plants are for the patient. Namely, this plant grows slowly, only 1.5 to 2 cm per year, and the first flowers can be expected only in the second or even third year of cultivation.
Desert rose should be planted in loose and drained soil. In practice, this means that you must not plant it in standard flower soil, but you must get a substrate for succulents or prepare the soil for your plant yourself by mixing 1/3 “regular” flower soil and 2/3 sand, and well is to give away some gravel or brick fragments.
It is very important that the substrate in which you plant or sow this plant is well drained, i.e. that the water does not stay in it at all, but just passes through it.
Also, make sure that you place your desert rose in a place where it will have enough light. Namely, in order for this plant to develop well and bloom profusely, it needs to be provided with at least six hours of natural light per day.
Watering the desert rose
It should not be watered too much even during the hottest days. After you water it once, wait for the soil to dry before watering it again.
In practice, this means that during hot summer days, it is watered every day, when the summer heat passes, the watering should be thinned out, and when winter comes, it is enough to water the desert rose once a month.
It is important to stick to the rule of watering only when the soil is dry because, especially during the colder part of the year, excessive watering can destroy the plant.
Experienced growers say that most flower lovers water their desert roses too little in the summer, and too much in the winter, and that this is the main problem in cultivation.
With the arrival of colder weather, care should be taken that the desert rose is not exposed to low temperatures, since it is very sensitive to low temperatures. With the fact that for her, low temperatures are not only those with a negative sign. and
Desert rose does not like winter
Already at a temperature lower than 10̊ C, the desert rose shows the first signs of deterioration, first its leaves begin to fall, and if unfavorable conditions persist, the plant will wither.
Desert rose will thrive (and bloom!) best if temperatures range from 24 to 36 °C.
All in all, the desert rose is an undemanding plant, it does not require any special care. In addition to water, a little extra food will also come in handy, but it is not necessary. Desert rose can grow nicely even without fertilizing. It is not too sensitive to diseases and pests, but you still need to take care that root rot can occur, and mites and red spider mites are also a danger. That, of course, does not mean
It can grow for years in the same container and in the same soil, it should be transplanted only when you notice that it has outgrown its container, that is, when its container becomes too small for further growth.
Be aware that this plant is poisonous! Native tribes prepared poison for their arrows from the roots and stems of the desert rose. Therefore, contact with her milk should be avoided, especially if you have sores or scratches on your skin.