GENERAL OUTLINE
Adenium or Desert Rose is one of the most popular plants in the world, even considered by many as sacred because each Adenium is unique and can live for hundreds of years. It is a small tropical shrub from the Apocynaceae family, such as Oleander. It is mainly native to East Africa (eg Yemen, Sudan)
When produced from seed, Adenium has unique characteristics, which gives a personal, and even spiritual dimension.
A true Desert Rose is recognizable at first glance: it is like no other ... general appearance, shape of the caudex, color and evolution of the flower.. it has unique characteristics.
A beautiful Desert Rose has a balanced form and is similar to a mini-Baobab... then, we recognize the true Desert Rose!
SOME SUBSPECIES OF ADENIUM
Adenium obesum ssp.boehmianum
Native from Namibia and Angola, in the bush, reach 2 meters. The leaves are the largest of Adeniums, 10 to 15 cm long. Flowers are from pale pink to deep purple with a dark purple throat.
Adenium obesum ssp.multiflorum
From Zimbabwe, Tanzanie and north east of South Africa. The "Impala Lily" is definitively the most beautiful flower of all subspecies, the "white star on red background" (see photo at the top of this page). The plant is flowering one time per year and need a period of dryness for flowering in abundance. The seedlings are slow growing, compared with the "classic" obesum ssp.obesum.
Adenium obesum ssp.obesum
The most known among Desert Roses, from the south of Arabic peninsula , Natal, or Tanzania. It can reach several meters high, with an impressive green-grey caudex. The leaves are 3 to10 cm long and oval at their extremities.
Adenium obesum ssp.oleifolium
From northen Cap area in South Africa, south eastern Namibia and south of Bostwana. The caracteristic leaves are allmost green-grey and glaucous, 10cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide. The flowers are dark-pink..
Adenium obesum ssp.socotranum
Endemic of Socotra Island, off Yemen. The giant of Adeniums. Become 1 to several meters tall and the trunc is massive and straight . Stems are conical. It grows very slowly !
Adenium obesum ssp.somalense
From Somalia. The shape of the caudex is conical. The plant can reach 3 meters.
Adenium obesum ssp.swazicum
From Natal in South Africa and Swaziland. Seems like Adenium boehmianum, but the leaves are a little wider and 1 to 3cm shorter and the anther tails do not reach up the mouth of the tube wich is glabrous. Flowers dark pink to red, similar as boehmianum.
ADENIUMS AT LE JARDIN NATUREL
Our plants are grown under ideal natural conditions, without fertilizer and excessive watering and without pruning. They are from high quality seeds from resistant and healthy relatives.
At "Le Jardin Naturel", the state of mind with which we grow Adenium wants to completely outscore the current trend, which is to make large-scale cloning and consider Adenium by the characters of color, size and abundance of its flowers.
This current trend of the market of Desert Roses may be interesting in terms of floral horticulture, but it is the opposite of what makes the essential interest of a Desert Rose.
So, propagated by large quantities of cuttings grafted on clones who are genetically weakened, all semblable, without shape, without harmony, they cannot be considered as "true Adeniums" in the sense that we understand. EACH Adenium IS UNIQUE...
We prefer by far a jewel 8cm grown over time, without being boosted with fertilizer and watering, rather than 50cm "a kind of asparagus" without any form cultivated under a glasshouse with artificial fertilizers and genetically weakened .
Our plants are selected from our own seeds. They are grown under natural conditions, outdoor under sunlight, with a natural mixture of humus or compost + high quality mineral soil and gravel, without fertilizer and with periods of rest of vegetation.
The consequences are a healthy plant health, greater disease resistance and general appearance close to the natural form, a contrario of deformed plants and weakened by growing under artificial conditions (insufficient light + excess fertilizer).
SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR CHOOSING A PLANT
- An Adenium is a plant that is personal to you: given a choice presented to two different people, they rarely choose the same plant.
- The most important feature is the general form, ie harmony between the system of branches and the seat of the root system, the caudex.
- The color and shape of the flower are secondary, although they provide an essential complement to the vitality and beauty of the plant. Generally speaking, prefer an harmonious shape and an average flower (which also depends on your taste), than a plant without form with a pretty flower: otherwise ... grow a cutting!
- The value of a Desert Rose does not depend of its height, but first of all of the value that you give it, which is not measured with currency. Its vision must bring you as a sense of stability and tranquility, reassure you if necessary ...
SEEDS AND PLANTS OF ADENIUMS
Adenium obesum, Adenium multiflorum, Adenium swazicum, arabicum Adenium, Adenium Thai socotranum, Adenium somalense.
The fact that we are not dealers but producers is a guarantee of freshness for you customers. Thus the seeds of Adenium that we offer are of the highest quality.
Sellers of seeds of Adenium are ALMOST ALL DEALERS, so the problem is the long delay between harvesting the seeds on the plants, the storage, sending to the retailer, storage again, and yet the time for sending before at last arriving to your postbox !
At the end of the process, the germination ratio is very low and then often disappointments ...
Buying cheap seeds may ultimately be expensive!
TIPS FOR CULTIVATION
Here are some tips for greater success of the care you give to your Adeniums.
Warning
First, avoid watering during the first days after repotting the plant. If the plant has traveled, consider as a normal reaction any yellowing leave, because the plant naturally responds to the stress of the trip. Keep in mind that this is excess moisture in the soil that can harm the plant.
Location
Adenium requires a lot of light and heat during growth, is not afraid to direct sunlight, and particularly appreciates a sun porch or a defect behind a large bay facing south. It may be out during the day, but take care of the emplacement, always in the same position relative to the sun (orientation), but, if the temperature may drop below 10 ° C during the night, it is better to keep it indoor in the evening. In winter, the plant can withstand lower temperatures (up to +5 ° C) , if the substrate remains absolutely dry.
Watering
Wait until the substrate is completely dry (estimate by weight of the pot), do not water too much nor too little (water should reach the bottom without sinking), never put saucer below. Rainwater is the most recommended. In Autumn, gradually reduce watering and stop completely in Winter. The leaves will turn yellow and fall normally, and the plant will rest until mid-February (in northen hemisphere), then you will gradually resume watering. Flowering will begin and continue until about September. Watering alternated with periods of drought result in more abundant flowering.
Repotting - Substrate
Repot in a volume approximately twice to triple (example 1 up to 3 liters per liter) during spring, every year or every two years, depending on the growth, in the most mineral mixing, for example: 1 part garden soil + 3 parts coarse sand or gravel river + 1 humus enriched (type of potting soil quality). Take care to not break the roots.
Avoid to water the entire volume of the pot within the next week, this to let heal any injured roots. Thereafter, water from time to time, every time all the roots, but rarely (eg fortnightly) and irregularly, and stop watering when the leaves begin to yellow and fall off at the beginning of automn.
The Desert Rose is going dormant (no leaves) for several months, undergo a period of drought after which it produces again flowers (eg to March in Europe).
Pruning
Not recommended for the general aspect but possible if the plant becomes cumbersome? Take care to disinfect wounds with a fungicide.
Fertilizer
You can add some commercial liquid fertilizer with the water every 15 days, especially ifthere are brown spots on the underside of leaves .
Parasites
Aphids or scale insects can invade the plant. During flowering, treat affected areas with a brush dipped in rubbing alcohol. A commercial product against mealybugs burn flowers and buttons.
Warning!
Adenium obesum is a poisonous plant such as oleander and should therefore please keep it out of reach of young childrens.
