Scientific Name
Adenium somalense var. crispum Chiov.
Accepted Scientific Name
Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult.
Synonym(s)
Adenium crispum
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Apocynoideae
Tribe: Nerieae
Subtribe: Neriinae
Genus: Adenium
Description
Adenium somalense var. crispum, also known as Adenium crispum, is a small, slow-growing succulent with distinctive flowers and a large underground napiform caudex. It can grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall. The leaves are long, narrowly linear, and usually strongly crisped. They are reddish-green with a prominent white midrib and veins with a silvery highlight.
The flowers are white with quilled petals, heavily striped with red or completely red, and typically appear during summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
These are not difficult plants to grow well, provided they get enough sunlight and warmth. However, like all succulents, they cannot tolerate sitting in water, and if you err, do it on the side of too little water. Use a specialized soil mix designed for cacti and succulents.
Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a Desert Rose, ensure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the plant from the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, removing any rotted or dead roots. Treat any cuts with a fungicide and antibacterial solution. Next, place the plant in its new pot and backfill with potting soil, spreading the roots out as you repot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.
The Desert Rose is typically propagated by seed. If your plant develops a seed pod, sow the seeds as soon as possible after the pod ripens to maximize the chances of germination. Desert Rose can also be propagated from stem cuttings, but this plant often fails to develop the characteristic (and highly desired) bulbous stem.
Origin
Adenium somalense var. crispum is a slow-growing form of Adenium obesum subsp. somalense native to the coast of southern Somalia.
Links
- Back to genus Adenium
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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