Desert Rose Plant
Adenium obesum
A Desert Rose plant is a unique looking succulentLearn the definition of a succulent plant and why they are called a "fat plant." native to the semi-arid regions of Arabia and the eastern and western parts of Africa. This plant is a type of caudiciform or “fat plant” because of its thick bulbous base. When grown indoors, a desert rose can be 2ft-5ft tall and 1ft-3 ft wide. Desert rose plants have beautiful flowers and sparse small leaves. The 1″-2″ saucer shaped blooms are quite a conversation piece and can be red, pink, or white. The fat, bulbous trunk is partially or completely buried in the soil. This is one of my favorite indoor flowering plants because it is so unusual and thrives on neglect.
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
Light
Water
The fat bulbous trunk of a Desert Rose plant stores water, so allow the soil to dry out before watering. If the soil becomes excessively dry, the plant goes dormant, once you give it a little water it quickly wakes up and starts growing again.
Fertilizer
Fertilize a Desert Rose with a plant food specifically recommended for flowering plants. The plant food should be lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorous (10/20/10). Feed monthly from late spring until early fall, always dilute the plant food to one half the recommended strength.
Temperature
A Desert Rose likes very warm temperatures. Keep the room above 60° and avoid placing this plant near air conditioners or cold drafts.
Humidity
Basic household humidity for these succulentLearn the definition of a succulent plant and why they are called a "fat plant."s is perfect.
Flowering
Flowering can occur throughout the year but is more prolific in the spring and fall. Older plants that are well cared for produce the most blooms. Flowers may be red, white, pink, or rose colored.
Pests
AphidsSee a picture, learn to identify, and read about Aphid houseplant pests in the Glossary of Houseplant411.com., spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them., and mealy bugLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. can all be a problem. Spray my “ green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.
,” a mixture of 50% alcohol, 50% water, a few tablespoons of liquid soap, and a few tablespoons of mineral oil on the entire plant but avoid the flowers.
Diseases
Most fungal or bacterial diseases that affect a Desert Rose, such as crown, root, and stem rot are the result of over- watering. Always allow the soil to dry out. It's also important to keep water off the leaves, flowers, and stems.
Soil
Use a loose, fast draining soil mixture that won’t become heavy and clay-like. Add hard sand to your usual potting soil or buy a mixture made specifically for cacti and Succulent PlantLearn the definition of a succulent plant and why they are called a "fat plant."s.
Pot Size
These plants like being root-bound in small pots.
Pruning
You can prune a Desert Rose any time during the year. Flowers develop on the new growth so pruning well before the plant blooms encourages more branching and more flowers.
Propagation
The best way to propagate a Desert Rose is from seeds, but this is rarely possible an indoor plant. You can try using Stem CuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. but the new plants often lack the trunks with fat bases that make a Desert Rose Plant so interesting.
Poisonous Plant Info
A Desert Rose plant is a poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. houseplant with a #2 Toxicity levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222******
Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant.
Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties.
Level #3: These houseplants are very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur.
Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening.
Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets.
See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in
Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
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1. Why are all of the green leaves on my Desert Rose plant are dropping off?
Leaves fall off a Desert Rose plant when it is over-watered. This is a Succulent PlantLearn the definition of a succulent plant and why they are called a "fat plant." that requires very little water.
2. Why doesn't my Desert Rose plant have a fat neat looking trunk like some other Desert Rose Plants I've seen?
Here are a few hints that might help your Desert Rose plant develop a thicker trunk. When you re-pot your Desert Rose, lift the root ball higher in the new pot so that the top part of the roots is exposed. Feed with a good fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
high in phosphorus. This should help the trunk of your Desert Rose become more bulbous.
3. How can I make my bare and leggy looking Desert Rose plant look better?
You need to aggressively prune your Desert Rose plant if you want it to look better. Cut back two or three of the stems almost to the main trunk, and place the plant in bright lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. The new growth should start within three or four weeks. Once the new growth starts to develop, cut another two stems back. Check our Glossary under propagationLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/ plant cuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. to see how you can use these Stem CuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. to start new plants.
4. How can I get more flowers on my Desert Rose plant?
A Desert Rose plant requires a great deal of bright lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light. to flower. It also need to be fed with a fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
high in phosphorous, that's the middle number on a plant food package (10/20/10), in order to bloom. A Desert Rose flowers more in the spring and fall than in summer and winter.
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