Desert Rose Plant
4.5 out of 5 (43 experiences)
Survivor
Fast grower
About Desert Rose Plant
The sap of A. obesum contains toxic cardiac glycosides and is used as arrow poison throughout Africa for hunting large game.
Taxonomy
Adenium obesum
Adenium
Apocynaceae
Gentianales
Also known as
Desert Azalea, Impala Lily, Adenium socotranum and Adenium arabicum
How to care for Desert Rose Plant
How often to water your Desert Rose Plant
every 12
Desert Rose Plant needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
12
Finding light for Desert Rose Plant in your home
a window
Desert Rose Plant love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Desert Rose Plant does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Desert Rose Plant in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Desert Rose Plant
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Desert Rose Plant after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Why the brown? She recently bloomed for a few weeks before a cat knocked off the flower. Light and water conditions haven’t changed—in fact, it’s better now than a few weeks ago when our 100s temps made her window too hot. She’s not soft yet so I’ve snoozed the last two watering notices. Other than these leaves, she’s happy. Are the leaves browning typical of post-bloom? #DesertRosePlant
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What is that on the trunk of my dessert rose? #DesertRosePlant
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Why are leaves at the bottom turning yellow and falling off? #DesertRosePlant
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My desert rose here is doing really good, and has had a lot of new plant growth. I'm reporting it soon I just was excited about this #DesertRosePlant
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I’m wondering if my y plant #DesertRosePlant
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My desert rose has started browning/yellowing from the edge of the leaves. It’s by a south-facing window that gets tons of light. Any ideas/advice? #DesertRosePlant
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My desert rose stopped growing. I started growing it from a seed. Can I still save it? Is it too late☠️? Help 😫 #DesertRosePlant
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Why do the bulbs go soft? Is that not enough water or to much? #DesertRosePlant
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Why is my Desert Rose losing all it’s leaves? I got this desert rose a few weeks ago and it started losing leaves shortly after I got it. I’ve watered it once, but I watered it pretty throughly. What am I doing wrong? Thank you!! #DesertRosePlant #DesertRose #planthelp #helpneeded #yellowleaves #droppingleaves #help #SucculentSquad #Succulents
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Never thought I’d be able to get my desert rose plant to bloom indoors in New York City, but here we are!! So beautiful! @RJG - I had to share this! #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #NewGrowth #PlantAddict #PlantCorner #GregGang
Desert Rose Plant is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
💦 Water Needs
Desert Rose Plant thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
☀️ Sunlight Needs
Desert Rose Plant requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity
Desert Rose Plant is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. If you have children, cats, or dogs in the home, we suggest keeping this plant out of reach.
💨 Humidity
Desert Rose Plant prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
🪴 Soil
Desert Rose Plant is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!
💩 Fertilizer
Desert Rose Plant grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
❄️ Dormancy
It’s common for Desert Rose Plant to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.
🌎 Native Region
Desert Rose Plant is native to Africa and the Middle East.
🌸 Flowers
Desert Rose Plant produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.
⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern
Desert Rose Plant grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.
🌦️ Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Desert Rose Plant can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
🌱 Propagation
Desert Rose Plant can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:
- Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
- To get the cutting to root, you can either:
- Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.
🧐 Troubleshooting
When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.
Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.
Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.
Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.
😖 Common Issues
Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Desert Rose Plant. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.
Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
Care Summary for Desert Rose Plant
Desert Rose Plant
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 12 days
Placement
< 1ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Survivor 30
Fast grower 15
Blooms easily 14
Large, lush leaves 10
Browns easily 8
Easy to propagate 3
Pest magnet 1
02/03/2022
Little bugs like to eat it, you’ll need mosquito bits or neem oil to keep the pests away.
Easy to propagate
Survivor
Blooms easily
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
12/01/2021
All parts of this plant are toxic.
Blooms easily
09/25/2021
This is a beautiful plant whose flowers bloom a vibrant pink. The root stem and branches provide an interesting, sculpture like appearance.
Survivor
Fast grower
09/19/2021
It would be nice if the app let me indicate when this plant goes dormant so it will not ask me to water it when it is not active. Otherwise I look forward to getting to be a more observant grower of this plant that blooms like a rose, but is incredibly water sensitive, especially in winter.
Blooms easily
Browns easily
09/19/2021
Grew from seed, super easy to grow
Survivor
09/13/2021
This one is everyone’s fave of my collection; I call it a survivor (had a bout with pests several months ago, & a couple weeks ago). It’s pretty easy to tell if it’s in distress & take appropriate action. I wired the branches bc when it was blooming they got weighed down. It’s a speculate addition!
Survivor
Pest magnet
Blooms easily
09/06/2021
If you want a unique, resilient, and funky plant: adenium obesum is the way to go. This plant loves to grow, it has grown two inches in the last three weeks for me.
Fast grower
Blooms easily
Survivor
08/19/2021
I’m still learning about this plant but so far it’s survived a year in my Florida porch garden
Fast grower
Survivor
Blooms easily
Large, lush leaves
07/28/2021
Super easy care and slow growth makes new leaves very exciting
07/27/2021
All the leaves will fall off and then regrow again.
Survivor
Blooms easily
06/28/2021
A total survivor, our desert rose has been neglected and went through a bit of shock but it is starting to bounce back. Blooms beautiful light pink flowers 🌸
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
Blooms easily
Survivor
Browns easily
06/18/2021
When I first received my first plant, I thought it was dead upon arrival. But I like the shape and decide to plant it. For my surprise, in few days, leaves start to grow. Actually it was a healthy plant.
Fast grower
Survivor
06/18/2021
If you received it by mail, don’t assume it is dead upon arrival. Just plant it and water it. It will revive.
Fast grower
Survivor
06/15/2021
The leaves keep falling off. It seems like it’s healthy. At first I was having problems keeping my cat out of it but it’s cool now.
Browns easily
Survivor
06/08/2021
Love bright direct light and regular but light watering!
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
06/07/2021
Drops leaves constantly and not happy
05/31/2021
I’m new to this plant giving it a try
05/24/2021
So easy to grow. Rather hard to make flower. Love how they look though!
Survivor
05/24/2021
It loves the sun. Does not need much water. Can go a few weeks without water.
Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily
Survivor
Fast grower
05/22/2021
Definitely thrives in warm weather! Mine bloomed super quickly and is looking beautiful.
Blooms easily
Survivor
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