PlantFiles: Adenium
Adenium arabicum

Ordered one from Arid Lands Greenhouses in 07. He was little, but now has filled out his six inch clay pot. Under the drifting shade of oaks. Get watered when I am in that area. Goes into the garage in winter, looses his leaves. Bring him back out in the spring and leaves emerge.

Distinguished most by its outstanding caudex formation and relatively thick fleshy leaves, this is the most succulent and "desert like" species. Seeds are particularly large and give seedlings which rapidly form a nice hard caudex. The form of the plant varies and we have shown some interesting shapes of the plants here on this page.

Adenium arabicum's growth form is always squat and fat with a definite caudex without much differentiation between trunk and branches. The skin on the plant is also somewhat more colored in purple to dark brown. Flowers range from pink to reddish pink.

Adenium arabicums have many characteristics. The leaves are shiny on the upper and lower surface, unlike Adenium obesum. The flowers are pink to deep red. The caudex and stem's color is dark brown to black & consist of many branch internodes on branches, especially on the top.

The flower petals sparkles when sunlight shines on it.

Adenium arabicum is a true collectors item. Plants grown from seed produce the most amazing shapes of caudex and a plant that is 10 years old would sell for more than US$1000

This plant is similar in appearance to Adenium obesum, but has larger leaves. It is from Yemen, Africa, and is an extremely drought tolerant plant. This one creates a massive caudex, too, and is very popular with 'fat plant' collectors.