Post 6 #PlantCare
Table of Contents
The heat and the dry spell killed many beloved plants of mine but few of my resilient plants are flourishing and blooming. One of those plants is Desert Rose/ Adenium. It’s not a real rose but its beautiful colored flowers in the desert earned the plant this name “Desert Rose”.
Desert Rose is a Sub-Saharan African plant of the succulent family. It is drought and heat tolerant plant so it’s well suited for warm climatic conditions. They bloom during spring and summers. The dark green foliage of leaves with beautiful red/ pink flowers makes it a great addition to the Indoor Garden. I’ll share a few Desert Rose care tips in this post.
Temperature
Adenium can bear heat well the ideal temperature for their growth is 30-35°C. These plants can tolerate the temperature above that too but they’ll survive it. They go into a passive mode during winters and can even die under 10°C of temperature. The leaves fall and the plant becomes passive for survival.
They should be kept warm during harsh winters.
Lighting
They should be kept in full sunlight or sun-facing window. These plants love sun they stop growing & blooming in lack of sunlight. They’re the best plants to be kept outdoor.
Watering
Desert rose doesn’t need much water rather they do really well with just adequate water to be moist but not drenched soil. If the plant is kept outdoor under the full sun then they’ll need watering once/day or once in two days. during rainy and winter season sparse watering is best for their survival.
The best way to kill Desert Rose is by Overwatering.
Repotting
The plant doesn’t grow very fast so it doesn’t need frequent repotting they’re very slow growers they need repotting every 2-3years. The soil should be a mixture of 1 part soil + 1 part coco peat + 1 part perlite and a bit of sand. The mixture should make a well-draining mixture a succulent mix.
They do better in a plastic pot rather than terracotta. The plastic helps them retain the moisture while terracotta gets dried faster. The plastic pot also breaks in the case of a root-bound plant.
Adenium lives better is slightly root-bound condition. While repotting the pot should only be few inches larger than the previous one.
Fertilizer
It should be fertilized during springs preferably. Slightly acidic pH should be maintained for better flowering.
Propagation
Adenium could be planted from the seeds that are produced in a pod. They could grow from the branch too but they never get the think trunk and roots as the normal plants do.
Flowers
They flower during summers and spring season. The flowers are bell-shaped around 2 inches in length. They’re beautiful and bright. These flowers are found in red, pink, white & yellow colors.
Adenium is a poisonous plant so caution is advised if you’ve pets or toddlers.
The common problems faced by Adenium
- Root-rot
- Pests: Aphids/ Spider Mite/ Mealy Bugs. They could be dealt with by Neem oil/ insecticide.
- Root-Bound
- Over-watering
I hope you find my article informative & helpful to your Desert Rose/ Adenium. Have a great time grooming the plant.
Happy Gardening to You
This is the series of Indoor Plant care guide & it’s the Sixth post of the series.
- Post 1: How not to Kill Succulents?
- Post 2: How to keep Coleus Healthy & Colorful?
- Post 3: How to Keep Peace Lily Healthy & Blooming?
- Post 4: Dwarf Ixora’s Care Guide
- Post 5: 7 Tips for Money Plant care
- Post 6: Desert Rose Care Guide
The Desert Rose seems to be a robust plant with beautiful flowers. Would love to have it in our terrace garden. Your tip about potting in a plastic pot rather than a terracota one is very useful.
Plants are like kids and you need to care for them properly. Like every child, every plant is different and so is the care process. Husband and I are working on our garden area and looking for new plants as well. Desert Rose is such a lovely option. Thanks for your detailed post regarding care. Overwatering also kills Orchids!
I want orchids but they need so much care that I’m scared to get them
The Desert Rose flower is so beautiful – and I am sure this is a plant that will do so well for us since we get such hot summers that most plants just wither and die! I’m always on the lookout for hardy plants that can survive hot weather.
Me too Lynne
Love these flowers! My son’s school had them in abundance. I am tempted to get myself one after reading your post! After a hiatus I now have a tulsi that’s doing well. Good to know it is sturdy!
My tulsi plant died in last weeks extreme heat wave. 🙁