Unknown woody houseplant with glossy leaves
Hi Judy,
I saved this plant off the side of the road yesterday. It’s looking a bit sad and I’m hoping to bring it back to life, however I would love to know what it is in the first place! I’m thinking some sort of Ficus sp. but I may be totally wrong.
Pictures attached.
It is about 45 cm high, 45 cm wide.
It’s a woody plant.
Leaves are alternate, quite thick and glossy green, with what I assume are little pointy bracts above the petiole.
Petiole is up to 1.5 cm.
Many thanks for your help.
Hi Ariane,
Your plant is called a Desert Rose (ADENIUM OBESUM). This plant is a type of caudiciform or “fat plant” because of its thick bulbous base. No two plants ever have the same base! When grown indoors, a Desert Rose grows 2ft-5ft tall and about 1ft-3 ft wide. Desert Rose plants have beautiful flowers and sparse small leaves. Here is one in bloom.
![Pink flower, woody base Desert Rose Plant](https://www.houseplant411.com/wp-content/uploads/Anna-Mirizio-4-225x300.jpg)
You can read all my care tips in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.
https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/desert-rose-how-to-grow-care-for-a-desert-rose-plant
These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants.