Family: Apocynaceae
Common name: Adeniums, Desert rose, Sabi star, Impala Lily
Who can resist this obese little plants with bulgy stems and root; and beautiful pink or red flowers? The flowers range in color from white, pink, peach, magenta, even a deep red bordering on black. Adenium leaves are thick, glossy and leathery making the plant look like a fake one. The plants need good sunlight and is better grown outdoors. They can be grown as bonsai plants, or as large shrubs that can reach a height of 3 meters.
Being a succulent, Adeniums are drought-resistant, with established plants requiring very little care and maintenance. It’s possible to graft adenium branches into another stem, creating multiple blooms on a single plant. The sap from stems and leaves is highly toxic and was used to coat arrow-tips before hunting, in olden days. Other related genera are Plumeria and Nerium, both with very similar looking flowers.
Propagation is from seeds, stem cuttings or grafts.
