Adenium obesum

Synonyms: Adenium coetaneum, Adenium honghel, Nerium obesum, Adenium arabicum, Adenium arboreum

Family: Apocynaceae

A strange and beautiful plant with an unusual trunk and striking red flowers.

It prefers positions with direct sunlight and can be kept outdoors year-round in mild climates. In colder climates, it can adapt to indoor spaces.

Easy to maintain and drought-resistant as it stores water in its roots and the base of its trunk.

The flowers showcase exotic beauty, are impressive and large (up to 5 cm), and last all summer long.

In winter, it may lose its leaves if temperatures are low, a purely temporary phenomenon.

It is often shaped as a bonsai plant due to its peculiar trunk.

Care Instructions:

• Light: Bright light and direct sunlight for better blooming.
• Watering: It stores water in its trunk and needs little watering. Water in spring and summer, and reduce watering in winter, but keep the plant hydrated to retain its leaves.
• Temperature: Ideal temperature is above 10°C. If winter temperatures stay above 16°C, the plant will keep its leaves.
• Fertilization: Every 2 weeks during the growing season with a general-purpose fertilizer. No fertilizer needed in winter.

Dimensions: It can reach up to 2 meters in height but only after many years. In pots, it remains much smaller.

Origin: Native to the Sahel region, south of the Sahara, and the tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia.