Indoor plants

Adenium

Adenium (lat. Adenium) — a genus of shrubby or woody succulents of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), originating from the tropical regions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In many languages the literal translation of the plant's name means «desert rose».

In the wild they reach gigantic sizes - up to 10 meters in height. In cultivation they are quite demanding and fussy, growing on average about 30-35 cm. Adenium has received the common name - Desert Rose, because its flowers resemble rose flowers. The sap of Adenium is poisonous in all parts of the plant.

Adenium

In cultivation the species Adenium obesum has become widespread. It has a thickened stem - a caudex. From it arise lateral, thinner stems. The caudex is capable of storing an amount of water sufficient to survive fairly long droughts. Leaves are linear, fleshy, covered with a waxy coating. Flowers usually appear in late spring, before the leaves emerge, when the plant is just coming out of dormancy. Flowers are pink or red, up to 7 cm in diameter.

Temperature: Adenium is heat-loving, around 25-27 °C in summer, in winter not below 10°C. It does not tolerate cooling of the root system. In summer it is better to place it outdoors in the garden or on the balcony.

Light: Adenium needs a very bright sunny spot. It grows well on a south-facing window. However, it should be acclimated to bright sun gradually in spring.

Watering: After the leaves fall until new shoots form, do not water. In spring and summer water moderately so that the soil dries between waterings. For example, in hot summer days water roughly once a week. Adenium is very sensitive to overwatering; root rot can easily develop from this.

Fertilizer: When flowers and new leaves form, feed Adenium with a special cactus fertilizer, adding it to the watering water. Feed no more often than once a month.

Humidity: Adenium likes regular misting with a fine spray so that water does not run in streams down the branches. During flowering, water must not get on the flowers.

Repotting: In spring, annually. The soil should be loose and slightly acidic. Any fertile loamy soil with added river sand will do. You can use a commercial cactus potting mix - "Cactus+", again with the addition of 1 part sand. Drainage is essential. Young plants are repotted annually; mature plants older than 3 years are repotted every other year, but the top layer of soil is replaced annually. After repotting, do not water until at least a week later.

Propagation: By seeds, cuttings, and layering. Adenium seeds lose viability in storage, so it is advisable to use only fresh seeds. Seeds germinate with soil heating.