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Gallery of Superior Cultivars Intraspecific Cultivars "arabicum" boehmianum crispum dhofarense multiflorum "obesum" oleifolium socotranum somalense swazicum Interspecific Hybrid Cultivars "obesum" x swazicum crispum x "obesum" "arabicum" x "obesum" "arabicum" x "obesum" x crispum Rare Crosses Double Flowered Cultivars

Superior Cultivars of Adenium crispum x "obesum" Back to Gallery See the hybrid page for the general characteristics of this hybrid group. Adenium crispum x "obesum" hybrids are renowned primarily by their boldly blotched and striped flowers. There are already thousands of named cultivars in this group, and adenium breeders are creating many more every year. For this reason, most of the cultivars that are more than a few years old are already obsolete and probably no longer on the market. Keeping up is impossible. This is generally true of adeniums, but especially so for crispum-obesum hybrids. The goal of this gallery is to present a selection of the vast variety of flowers, many of which arrived and vanished without ever being given names. 'City' 'Harry Potter' 'OMG!' 'Strawberry Sundae' 'Classical' 'Lily' 'Peppermint' 'Taiwan Sparks' 'Dexter' 'Little Red Berry' 'Red Laser' 'Twinkling Moonlight' 'Happy Princess' 'Neptune' 'Starfish 'Grenadine Splash' 'City' Parentage: Adenium crispum x "obesum " complex hybrid. Creator: Unknown, Taiwan before 2008 Plant form: Small, typical for the hybrid. Flower: Pale pink with bold red lines; like a flat-petaled crispum. Back to Menu 'Classical' Parentage: Adenium crispum x "obesum " complex hybrid. Creator: H.C. Chen, Taiwan before 2008 Plant form: Small, typical for cross. Flower: One of the boldest early hybrids, because the strong streaks are confined to the center of the petals, leaving a wide pale pink border. Back to Menu 'Dexter' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid: ( 'Garden Party' x 'Peppermint' ). Creator: Dimmitt 2011 Plant form: Compact and unusually upright for the cross. Slow growing. Flower: Round, 63 mm diameter, 24 mm petal width. Petals white with large red center blotch and numerous red splatters. Back to Menu Left: Adenium 'Dexter', 9-year-old seedling in a 12-inch pot. 'Grenadine Splash' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid Origin: Seedling from Taiwan, selected by Dimmitt, 2008 Plant form: Sturdy branching shrub to about 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years. Small caudex. Flower: Nearly circular, large, 74 mm diameter x 36 mm petal width. Petals light red, heavily blotched and streaked with dark red; throat white. Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: Tan Wei Lee, Taiwan, before 2008 Plant form: Medium-sized, spreading shrub; deciduous. Known only as grafted plants. Flower: Small, round, 40 mm diameter, 16 mm petal width. Petals light purple with dense overlay of red streaks except on margins. Throat yellow with prominent nectar guides. The flowers look much like those of crispum except that the petals are broad and flat, not quilled. Blooms profusely throughout warm months. Notes: This plant looks like A. crispum on steroids - several times larger than the species. It's also much less delicate than the species, at least when grafted. 'Happy Princess' Above left: Adenium 'Happy Princess', 2 -year-old graft in a 6-inch pot. Left: Same plant at 4 years old in a 12-inch pot. Back to Menu 'Harry Potter' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: C.F Chang, Taiwan, 2003 Plant form: Medium-sized, spreading shrub. Known only as grafted plants. Flower: Round, 78 mm diameter, 30 mm petal width. Petals white with wide central red stripe and some red streaks. Throat white with prominent nectar guides. Blooms well two or three times a year. Notes: This was the first crispum-"obesum " hybrid with fairly flat petals and bold markings. The nectar guides have become blotchy stripes. Back to Menu 'Lily' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: C.F. Chang, Taiwan, before 2008 Plant form: Large for this hybrid group; spreading shrub with weak stems. Nearly evergreen. Known only on grafts. Flower: Large, round, 90 mm diameter x 32 mm petal width. Petals wihte with central red blotch and a few spots. Throat yellow with no nectar guides. Flowers profusely two or three times a year. Notes: Another superb early hybrid by master hybridizer C.F. Chang. Adenium 'Lily', 6-year-old graft in a 16-inch pot. Adenium 'Lily', a new flower (above) and a week-old flower (right). Back to Menu Adenium 'Little Red Berry', 5-year-old graft, 4 feet tall in a 14-inch pot. 'Little Red Berry' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: Ashish Hansoti, Tropica Nursery, before 2008. Plant form: Large shrub for this hybrid group, vigorous, erect, tall and narrow form. Can attain 4 feet tall in 5 years. Flower: Small, star-shaped, 52 mm diameter x 12 mm petal width. Petals intense velvety-red with very narrow white edge and almost no fading toward throat. Throat red upper half, white lower with blackish nectar guides. Prolific bloomer. Semi-deciduous. Notes: Adenium 'Little Red Berry' bears highly saturated flowers. It also has a high flower count (more than 10 per inflorescence), right above. Back to Menu 'Neptune' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: Unknown, Taiwan before 2008 Plant form: Large and sturdy for this hybrid type; spreading shrub growing to 4 feet tall and wide in 10 years. Grown only on grafts. Evergreen. Flower: Round, 79 mm diameter x 34 mm petal width. Petals white with broad bright red margin and red central stripe and large white base. throat white with no nectar guides. Blooms almost year round. Notes: Another superb crispum-obesum hybrid, more robust than the great majority of cultivars. Above left: A 6-year-old grafted adenium 'Neptune' in a 14-inch pot. Above right: About 7 years old, grafted onto 'Arabian Ruby' rootstock in a 17-inch box. Back to Menu 'OMG!' Parentage: Complex Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " hybrid (MAD588 x 'Hansoti Pink') Creator: Dimmitt, 2013 Plant form: Small, erect shrub (usually taller than wide) with fairly sturdy stems. The original seedling is slow-growing and has almost no caudex. Grafted plants are vigorous; they need pruning to encourage branching. Evergreen and active except for a short winter rest. Flower: Circular, 63 mm diameter x 35 mm petal width. Petals white, almost completely obscured by a wide lavender margin and a large red central blotch that breaks into numerous purple streaks that extend nearly to the edges. Throat white with very prominent nectar guides. Blooms repeatedly almost year round except for midwinter. Notes: Back to Menu Above: 'OMG'. Above: The parents of 'OMG!'. Left: MAD588; right: 'Hansoti Pink'. 'OMG!' is a rare combination of the best of both parents plus a better shape than either. 'Peppermint' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: Unknown, Taiwan, before 2008 Plant form: Small compact spreading shrub. Known only as grafted plants. Flower: Round but with pointed tips, 60 mm diameter x 26 mm petal width. Petals white with large red center blotch and some red dots. Throat yellow with faint nectar guides. Blooms in two or three big flushes during the warm months. Notes: A beautiful little plant that grows to about two feet tall and wide in 10 years. Back to Menu Above: A 4-year-old grafted adenium 'Peppermint' in an 8-inch pot. Red Laser Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: Unknown; seedling purchased in Taiwan in 2008. Selected and named by Dimmitt. Plant form: Erect shrub, taller than wide, with noticeable caudex. Semi-evergreen but has distinct winter dormancy. Flower: Large, round, 82 mm diameter x 34 mm petal width. Petals white with narrow red center stripe and a few red dots. Throat yellow with no nectar guides. Blooms several times a year. Notes: This cv. unusually large for this hybrid, growing to 4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide in 10 years. It's completely sterile; won't cross with any other adenium. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Red Laser', 6 years old in a 12-inch pot. Right: The original seedling of adenium 'Red Laser', 12 years old in a 14-inch pot. It has a decent caudex. Back to Menu Starfish Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: R.J. Lieng, Taiwan, before 2008. Plant form: Medium-sized spreading shrub with fairly sturdy branches. Known only as grafted plants. Evergreen but dormant in winter. Flower: Star-shaped, 85 mm diameter x 21 mm petal width. Petals blush pink with narrow pink edges and a bold ragged-edged red midstripe. Throat red with no nectar guides. Blooms profusely at least twice a year. Notes: Back to Menu Above: Two-year-old grafted 'Starfish' in an 8-inch pot. 'Strawberry Sundae' (= MAD564 & MAD668) Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrids. MAD564 = A. "obesum" 'Daeng Siam' x 'Peppermint' MAD668 - A. 'Beauty Baby' x 'MAD487' Creator: Dimmitt 2009 & 2010 Plant form: Both clones fairly large spreading shrubs with fairly sturdy branches, small caudexes, and large roots. Tend to be evergreen. Flower: Both clones round, large, 80-85 mm diameter x 30 mm petal width. Petals white with wide bright red border and central red blotches and streaks. Throats yellow with very faint nectar guides. Bloom profusely two or three times a year. Notes: These two clones have unrelated parents but are nearly indistinguishable, so have been given the same cv. name. Back to Menu Above left: 'Strawberry Sundae' #564. Above left: 'Strawberry Sundae' #668. 'Taiwan Sparks' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: Seedling purchased in Taiwan in 2008; selected and named by Dimmitt. Plant form: A vigorous, medium-sized shrub with fairly sturdy branches. Known only as grafted plants. Evergreen. Flower: Round, 74 mm diameter x 35 mm petal width. Petals white at the base, but otherwise almost obscured by light red margins, a red blotch at the tips (varies from small to large with weather), and many red lines. Throat yellow with prominent nectar guides. Blooms massively at least twice a year. Notes: This seedling stood out among hundreds of thousands of plants at one of the nurseries that covered hectares of land. Above: 'Taiwan Sparks' in full bloom. Above: 'Taiwan Sparks' grafted onto a 2-foot tall 'Arabian Ruby' rootstock about 6 years earlier. Back to Menu Above three images: Flowers of 'Taiwan Sparks' at different ages and seasons. All beautiful! 'Twinkling Moonlight' Parentage: Ade nium crispum x "obe sum " complex hybrid. Creator: C.F. Chang, Taiwan, before 2008. Plant form: A small, slow-growing shrub with fairly sturdy branches. Known only as grafted plants. Evergreen. Flower: Small, round, 60 mm diameter x 27 mm petal width. Outer 3/4 of petals bright red, raggedly merging to white bases. Throat white with no nectar guides. Blooms massively at least twice a year. Notes: Back to Menu Above two images: 'Twinkling Moonlight' two-year-old graft (left); an older multiple graft onto a large rootstock in a Taiwan nursery. Above two images: 'Twinkling Moonlight' flowers, new (left), and week-old (right). A gallery of (mostly) vanished beauties

Adenium " arabicum" x crispum hybrids As far as I know, Miles Anderson of Miles’ to Go Nursery is the only person who has successfully made this F 1 cross. He got only five viable plants, but they were fertile. They have the large caudexes and sturdy, erect branches of “arabicum ”; the small plant size, foliage, and flowers were heavily do minated by the crispum parent. Third generation plants that I grew from these plants still showed the striped petals, and mostly quilled petals. Some of these are larger, up to five feet (1.5 m) tall. In my opinion the main value of this line is contributing smaller size and striped flowers into the “arabicum” x “obesum” x crispum line . These hybrids are apparently tetraploid, because they cross only with other 4n adeniums. Above left: The star-shaped flowers of some clones have flat petals, but most will quill in a couple of days (right). Left: One of Miles Anderson's original F1 plants of Adenium "arabicum" x crispum. The caudexes are very large compared to plant size. Photo: Miles Anderson. Miles Anderson's F2 crosses of Adenium "arabicum" x crispum also have relatively huge caudexes, but the flowers are still quilled. The promise of these plants is to get cripsum 's patterned flowers and smaller plant size into the tetraploid arabicum-"obesum " line. Plant at left is 5 years old in a 14-inch pot. Footnotes

Superior Cultivars of Hybrids containing Adenium "arabicum", "obesum", & crispum This is my favorite adenium breeding line; see the hybrid page for details. In short, plants with this parentage grow fast to about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, with good caudexes, sturdy stems, and brightly colored flowers most of the year. They are tetraploid, which gives them extra sturdiness and vigor. They're very tolerant of high heat, near-freezing temperatures, and overwatering. Oh - and they're all evergreen. No more panicking when the leaves all turn yellow and fall off. This is a new line of breeding that I began in 2010, so there are very few good cultivars to date. 'Beautiful Loser' 'St. Elmo's Fire' 'Nearly Perfect' 'Tetra Splash #927' 'Radiant Dawn' 'Starbright' 'Beautiful Loser' (MAD532) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" x crispum complex hybrid (A. "arabicum" x "obesum") 'MAD421' x (A. "obesum" x crispum) 'Happy Princess' Creator: Dimmitt 2009 Plant form: Amazingly vigorous, floppy shrub with giant caudex. Evergreen. Tetraploid. Flower: Round, 60 mm diameter x 23 mm petal width. Petals light red, mostly covered by heavy dark red lines. At the juncture of each two petals, there is a yellow protuberance (? don't know what to call it). Petals tend to quill as they age. Throat yellow, but mostly obscured by prominent red nectar guides. Always in bloom, often profusely. Notes: This was my first arabicum-obesum-crispum hybrid. Only one seed germinated from the cross, and it grew like a weed. I was really excited about it, until it developed its mature form at about 5 years. Super-fast growth, huge caudex, perpetually in bloom with superb flowers. What's wrong with it? If it wasn't brutally pruned and staked, the stems would be lying on the ground! I would have thrown it out, but it redeems itself by being the most fertile breeder in my tetraploid line. It will cross with nearly every other 4n plant that I've matched it with. Its good traits usually come through in the offspring (including the yellow thingys at the throat), and sometimes the floppy stems are lost. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Beautiful Loser' at 12 years old in a 16-inch pot. Notice all the stakes. In addition, I have pruned off far more biomass than is currently present. Back to Menu Above: The flowers of adenium 'Beautiful Loser'. There must be a term for those yellow bumps? Only a few adeniums have such prominent ones. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Nearly Perfect #776' at 7 years old in a 16-inch pot. Above: The original seedling of 'Nearly Perfect #776' at 8 years old. 'Nearly Perfect #776' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" x crispum complex hybrid ('Beautiful Loser' x 'Prolific Behemoth') Creator: Dimmitt 2012 Plant form: Vigorous, upright shrub with large caudex and main stems. Evergreen. Tetraploid Flower: Round, 75 mm diameter x 30 mm petal width. Petals crimson with no fading toward the throat, and large, slightly darker red blotch in petal center. At the juncture of each two petals, there is a yellow protuberance (? don't know what to call it). Throat yellow, but mostly obscured by prominent red nectar guides. Always in bloom, with heavy flushes two or three times a year. Notes: Nearly Perfect is a group term that I use for a few plants that are very similar in being upright shrubs with big caudexes and dark red flowers over a long season. So far only two clones have been selected: MAD776 and MAD777. They also grow superbly from cuttings; no need to graft. Above: The flower of adenium 'Nearly Perfect #776'. Above: A 1-year-old cutting of 'Nearly Perfect #776'. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Nearly Perfect #776' at 8 years old in a 16-inch pot. Right: Another clone of the Nearly Perfect group: 'Nearly Perfect #777' at 8 years old in a 16-inch pot. Inset: the flower. It's almost identical to #776. Back to Menu 'Radiant Dawn' (MAD689) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" x crispm complex hybrid ((A. "obesum" x crispum) 'Lily') x a 4th generation (A. "arabicum"-"obesum"-crispum) 'MAD610)) Creator: Dimmitt 2011 Plant form: Medium-sized, spreading shrub with very large caudex. Grows to about 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years. Evergreen. Tetraploid Flower: Round, 72 mm diameter x 29 mm petal width. Petals pink with many darker pink lines. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Always in bloom, with heavy flushes two or three times a year. Notes: This clone grows easily from cuttings; no need to graft. Back to Menu Above left: The original seedling of adenium 'Radiant Dawn' at 9 years old in a 16-inch pot. Right: the same plant at 11 years. Above: The flowers of adenium 'Radiant Dawn'. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Starbright' at 10 years old in a 16-inch pot. 'Starbright' (MAD819) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" x crispum complex hybrid 'Beautiful Loser' x a 4th generation (A. "arabicum"-"obesum"-crispum) 'MAD650)) Creator: Dimmitt 2012 Plant form: Compact, spreading shrub with modest caudex. Grows to about 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years. Sturdy stems need no pruning. Evergreen. Tetraploid Flower: Star-shaped, 76 mm diameter x 28 mm petal width. Petals open flat, but become recurved and quilled after a few days; pink base nearly obscured by nearly solid red streaking. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Always in bloom, with heavy flushes two or three times a year. High flower count, up to 16 per inflorescence. Notes: This clone grows easily from cuttings; no need to graft. Above: The flowers of adenium 'Starbright'. Back to Menu 'St. Elmo's Fire' (MAD783) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" x crispum complex hybrid ('Beautiful Loser' x (lost label pollen parent) Creator: Dimmitt 2012 Plant form: Medium-sized, spreading shrub with very large caudex. Grows to about 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years. Evergreen. Tetraploid. Flower: Round, 65 mm diameter x 24 mm petal width. Petals pink with many red lines. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Always in bloom, with heavy flushes two or three times a year. Notes: This clone grows easily from cuttings; no need to graft. I love seedlings that flower at only a year old. Precocious! (and precious) Above: The flower of adenium 'St. Elmo's Fire'. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'St. Elmo's Fire' at 8 years old in a 16-inch pot. Back to Menu 'Tetra Splash #927') Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" x crispum complex hybrid ('Beautiful Loser' x 'MAD 743') Creator: Dimmitt 2013 Plant form: Medium-sized, upright shrub with good caudex. Grows to about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in 10 years. Evergreen. Tetraploid. Flower: Round, 100 mm diameter x 46 mm petal width. Petals white with large red center blotch and narrow red edge. Throat yellow with faint nectar guides. Blooms several times a year. Notes: This clone grows easily from cuttings; no need to graft. Back to Menu

Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" hybrids First generation hybrids between this tetraploid and diploid species are very rare, probably because the odd number of chromosomes (3n, triploid) in the fertilized ova can’t pair up during cell division. Out of more than two hundred controlled pollinations, I have obtained fewer than 10 viable seedlings. All of these F 1 (primary, first generation) crosses are tetraploid and strongly resemble the “arabicum” parent. It’s apparent that “arabicum ” occasionally makes triploid ova, which, when fertilized by a haploid “obesum ” sperm cell, forms two pairs of each homologous chromosome (Richard J. “Jake” Henny, written communication). Therefore F1 hybrids are 3/4 "arabicum", which explains the dominance of this species' characteristics in the hybrids. Fortunately, some of the hybrids are fertile. The F 1 and subseque nt generations of this breeding line have impressive hybrid vigor, and can rapidly grow into huge specimens. The first one, named ‘Arabian Ruby’ is the most vigorous adenium that I have ever seen. At ten years of age, it filled a 42-inch (107 cm) pot with a multi-stemmed base almost three feet (91 cm) thick. Cuttings of this plant are also vigorous and very caudiciform . Most other plants of this interspecific hybrid are also very large. In subsequent generations the “arabicum ” parentage remains heavily dominant in plant form. The “obesum ” parentage shows in the large, brightly colored flowers (three to four inches, 76-102 mm wide), and unfortunately, a tendency to weak stems. After four generations of selection, some excellent reds are showing up. See the superior cultivars page for a gallery of these hybrids. Adenium 'Arabian Ruby' is probably the first hybrid between A. "arabicum" and A. "obesum". It is also the most vigorous adenium that I've ever encountered. The seedling grew rapidly to enormous size, a classic example of hybrid vigor. See the gallery of superior cultivars for more details on this and other hybrids of this line. Above: Flowers of Adenium 'Arabian Ruby'. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Arabian Ruby' at ten years old. Above: Adenium 'Bouquet'. Above: Adenium 'Crimson Tower'. Above: Adenium 'Prolific Behemoth'. Above left: Adenium 'Ginormous Red' at 11 years old; right: 13 years. Footnotes

Superior Cultivars of Adenium "arabicum " 'Carol Ann' (MAD-978) 'Shada Tree' 'MAD 956' Fat Guys Soodah Dwarf 'MAD 988' 'Hansoti Dwarf' 'Yemeni Giant' 'MAD 1004' 'Ram Gandhi' 'MAD 953' 'MAD 1083' 'Sheila Collenette' 'Carol Ann' (MAD978) Parentage: Adenium "arabicum", self-set seed from 'Yemeni Giant' Creator: Mark Dimmitt selection, sown 2009. Plant form: A spreading shrub with a massive squat caudex. Mother plant at left is 3 feet tall x 4 feet wide at 13 years old. It's about half the size of its seed parent, but larger than dwarf "arabicum" clones. Potentially evergreen; does not require a dry winter rest. Flower: Round to semi-star shaped, 73 mm in diameter x 31 mm petal width, wide dark pink to almost red petal edge, fading to near white at throat. Yellow throat with prominent nectar guides. The plant tends to flower repeatedly throughout the year if grown warm. Notes: The most prominent trait is its indeterminate inflorescences . The flower count can well surpass 50, so a single inflorescence can be in bloom for two months or more. Named in memory of John Bliznak's mother. Back to Menu Flower of Adenium "arabicum " 'Carol Ann'. During the summer peak bloom, 'Carol Ann' inflorescences can produce more than 50 flowers over a period of two to three months. Above: An unnamed, fairly typical clone of the Fat Guys strain: a compact shrub with big caudex and small pink flowers. (This caudex is smaller than average.) Most clones bloom only in spring. Photo: Gene Joseph. Fat Guys strain Parentage: Adenium "arabicum " 'Ram Gandhi' x 'Hansoti Dwarf' Creator: Mark Dimmitt cross 2009. Plant form: Medium-sized, spreading shrubs with relatively large squat caudexes. Their size is closer to the dwarf pollen parent than the large seed parent. All clones seem not to require a dry winter rest. Flowers: Almost all clones have pink petals that fade to near white at throat. A few have petals that are red on the outer half, fading to dark pink at the throats. Throats and nectar guides variable. Most bloom only in spring. See individual cv. descriptions for flower sizes. Notes: This is not a single cultivar, but a strain (grex) consisting of all the offspring from these two parents. Some clones within this group have been given cv. names, e.g., 'Fat Guy MAD670'. Their popularity stems from their consistently compact size with fat caudexes and good vigor. A few are also good bloomers. Back to Menu Left: Plant and flower of 'Fat Guy MAD670'. The plant is about 2 x 2 feet at 10 years old. Flower: Semi-star, 58 mm diameter x 25 mm petal width; Outer half of petals medium red, fading to pink at throat. (Red "arabicum" flowers are quite rare.) Throat yellowish with few nectar guides. Unlike most Fat Guys, this clone flowers profusely in spring and sporadically all year. Right: Plant, flower, and caudex of 'Fat Guy MAD671'. The plant is about 3 x 2 feet at 10 years old. The caudex in the closeup is 12 years old; the ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. Flower: Round, 53 mm diameter x 21 mm petal width; Outer half of petals medium red, fading to pink at throat. (Red "arabicum" flowers are quite rare.) Throat yellowish with prominent nectar guides. Unlike most Fat Guys, this clone flowers profusely in spring and sporadically all year. Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ", wild collection. Origin: The original plant has been grown in India since at least the 1930s. Probably collected on the Aden Peninsula of Yemen (Dimmitt & Edwards 2021). Plant form: A small spreading shrub with a relatively massive caudex. Deciduous; seems to require a dry winter rest. Slow growing. Flower: Round; 65 mm diameter x 26 mm petal width, dark pink to light red depending on temperature(?), fading to pink at throat. Throat yellowish with light red nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring while leafless. Self fertile; most seedlings strongly resemble the parent. Notes: Named for the original plant's present owner, Ashish Hansoti. This is one parent of the Fat Guys strain, a uniform grex of dwarf plants with big caudexes. Jabal Shamsan on the Aden Peninsula is the type locality for A. "arabicum" 'Hansoti Dwarf' (MAD179) Adenium "arabicum " 'Hansoti Dwarf', 15 year old cutting in 18-inch bonsai pot. Back to Menu Flowers of Adenium "arabicum " 'Hansoti Dwarf'. Flowers are darker in cooler weather & when plant is dry. 'Ram Gandhi' (MAD262) Parentage: Adenium "arabicum " Origin: A Dimmitt selection of the most vigorous plant from a batch of seeds obtained from Dr. Ram Gandhi in 1999. Plant form: A very large spreading shrub with a squat caudex and several greatly swollen main branches. Semi deciduous in winter. Flower: Semi-star; 78 mm diameter x 25 mm petal width, petals dark pink outer half, fading to near-white at throat. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring and usually has a few flowers year round. Self fertile; most seedlings grow vigorously into large plants. Notes: This is one parent of the Fat Guys strain, a uniform grex of dwarf plants with big caudexes. Above: Flower of Adenium "arabicum " 'Ram Gandhi'. Right: Adenium "arabicum " 'Ram Gandhi at 20 years.The ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. Adenium "arabicum " 'Ram Gandhi', 20 year old seedling in 42 inch pot. The peak spring bloom last about two months. Notice the cauliflory, which is fairly common in A. "arabicum ". Back To Menu Above: Adenium "arabicum " 'Ram Gandhi', 9 years old in an 18 inch inch pot. Below: Same plant at 24 years old in a 42-inch pot. 'Shada Tree' (MAD973) Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ". Origin: A typical example of the arborescent form of the species. Second generation seed from Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia; produced by C&J Nursery. The original seed was collected by Sheila Collenette, the renowned 20th century plant explorer. Plant form: A tree to at least 10 feet tall with a conical trunk/caudex to at least 4 feet tall. Flower: Small and star-shaped, 60 mm diameter; petal width 25 mm. Petals light pink with narrow dark pink edge. Throat pale white to yellowish with prominent red nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring and usually has a few flowers year round. Notes: Back To Menu Flower of 'Shada Tree #973'. Adenium "arabicum" 'Shada Tree #973'. The plant shown above is 9 feet tall in an 18 -inch pot at 14 years from seed (left) and 15 years. Photo above right: Peter L. Kresan. Left: Closeup of the trunk/caudex of 'Shada Tree #973' at 14 years old. The ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. Above two images: Adenium "arabicum" 'Sheila Collenette' planted in the ground in a glass greenhouse with no climate controls. Left: the plant at 9 years old; right: 24 years old . The scars on the older plant are frost damage from 11 degrees F (-12 C) that occurred 8 years earlier. This species is quite hardy if the soil is dry. It's surrounded by Stapelia gigantea . 'Sheila Collenette' Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ". Origin: Seed from Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. Collected by Sheila Collenette, the renowned 20th century plant explorer. Plant form: A spreading shrub to 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide with a massive caudex and swollen main branches. Flower: Small and star-shaped, 45 mm diameter; petal width 12 mm. Petals light pink with narrow dark pink edge. Throat pale white to yellowish with prominent red nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring. Notes: Jabal Shada is a large mountain that has both shrubby and arborescent adeniums, as well as frost-pruned dwarfs at high elevation. Back to Menu Soodah Dwarf strain Three images above and left: Adenium "arabicum" 'Soodah Dwarf MAD483'. Flowers star-shaped, 50 mm diameter x 13 mm petal width; yellow throat with no nectar guides. High flower count (indeterminate, 50+ per inflorescence). Blooms repeatedly throughout the year, including winter if kept warm. Tends to be evergreen. Plant at upper left is 7 years old; left is15 years.. Ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. Parentage: A. "arabicum " Origin: Descendants of seeds from a dwarf plant on Jabal Soodah, Raidah Escarpment near Abha, Saudi Arabia, near the headwaters of Wadi Muraba. Seeds were collected from a single plant by Tom McCoy . This strain consists of the offspring from 4 plants selected from 14 original plants grown from wild seeds. Plant form: Consistently small, spreading, profusely branching shrubs with large, squat caudexes. Most clones are evergreen. Flowers: Small and pink; petals fade to near white at throat. Some clones have high flower counts (at least 10 per inflorescence). Throats yellow; no nectar guides. They bloom profusely in spring, and sporadically throughout the warm months. See individual cv. descriptions for flower details. Notes: This is not a single cultivar, but a strain (grex) consisting of all the offspring from 4 selected seedlings. Interestingly, there were "normal" sized plants on the same hill, but the dozens of seedlings from the dwarf plant grown by various people were all dwarf. A few clones have been given cv. names. Back to Menu Above 3 images: Adenium "arabicum" 'Soodah Dwarf MAD484'. Flowers star-shaped, 42 mm diameter x 11 mm petal width; yellow throat with no nectar guides. High flower count (15-20 per inflorescence). Blooms repeatedly throughout the year, including winter if kept warm. Tends to be evergreen. Plant at left is 4 years old in an 8 inch pot. Above: Adenium "arabicum" 'Soodah Dwarf MAD530'. Flowers semi-star-shaped, 48 mm diameter x 16 mm petal width; yellow throat with no nectar guides. High flower count (about 10 per inflorescence). Blooms repeatedly throughout the year, including winter if kept warm. Tends to be evergreen. Plant at left is 8 years old; right is14 years. Ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. Adenium "arabicum " 'Yemeni Giant', the original seedling at 10 years old, six feet high in a 42" pot. Flowers of 'Yemeni Giant' 'Yemeni Giant' [MAD186] Parentage: Adenium "arabicum" Origin: One of numerous seedlings grown by Chuck Hanson ca. 1998; selected and named by Dimmitt. The seeds were from Frank Horwood's large-flowered clone collected in Yemen. Plant form: A vigorous, freely branching shrub with a massive caudex and lower branches. Larger plants are almost evergreen. Flower: Round, 65 mm diameter x 28 mm petal width; petals white to pale pink with an indistinct light pink border. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring, with a few flowers throughout the rest of the year. Notes: Adenium "arabicum " 'Yemeni Giant', a six year old cutting in a 12" pot. It's a myth that adenium cuttings don't form caudexes. They will IF the mother plant is caudiciform. Flowers of 'Yemeni Giant' Back to Menu 'MAD 953' Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ", selfing of 'Hansoti Dwarf'. Creator: Dimmitt, 2010. Plant form: This unnamed clone is a compact shrub, taller than wide, with a short-conical caudex. Plant shown is about 2 feet tall x 1.5 feet wide at 11 years old. Performs better with a dry winter rest. Flower: Round, 60 mm diameter x 23 mm petal width. Petals bright red with little fading toward throat. Throat yellow with faint nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring. Notes: Almost all A. "arabicum" have pink flowers. 'Hansoti Dwarf' has darker pink to light red flowers. I have obtained about a half-dozen good reds out of a few hundred seedlings grown. The color is not stable; it tends to be more pink in hot weather (>100 F/38 C). Back to Menu 'MAD965' Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ", 'Hansoti Dwarf' x 'Petch Ban Na'. Creator: Dimmitt, 2010. Plant form: This unnamed clone is a compact erect shrub, taller than wide, with a large squat caudex. Plant shown is about 2 feet tall x 1.5 feet wide at 10 years old. Performs better with a dry winter rest. Flower: Round to almost circular, 65 mm diameter x 34 mm petal width. Petals pale pink with a narrow bright pink edge. Throat yellowish with no nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring. Notes: Back to Menu 'MAD988' Parentage: A. "arabicum ", second generation selfing of 'Hansoti Dwarf'. Creator: Dimmitt, 2009. Plant form: A compact, many-branched shrub with a relatively huge globular caudex. Plant shown is 12 years from seed, about 1.5 feet tall and wide in a 14-inch pot. Flower: Round, 46 mm diameter x 21 mm petal width. Petals medium red, fading slightly near base; throat white with prominent nectar guides. Flowers massively in spring. Notes: This clone closely resembles the "Thai socos" of Asia, but it is a descendant of an old wild-collected plant. Back to Menu 'MAD1004' Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ", 'Hansoti Dwarf' x self. Creator: Dimmitt, 2013. Plant form: This unnamed clone is a compact erect shrub, taller than wide, with a large short-conical caudex. Plant shown is about 2 feet tall x 1.5 feet wide at 6 years old. Performs better with a dry winter rest. Flower: Round, 60 mm diameter x 28 mm petal width. Petals deep red with with almost no fading toward throat. Throat white with faing nectar guides. Blooms in spring. Notes: Almost all A. "arabicum" have pink flowers. 'Hansoti Dwarf' has darker pink to light red flowers. I have obtained about a half-dozen good reds out of a few hundred seedlings grown. The color is not stable; it tends to be more pink in hot weather (>100 F/38 C). Back to Menu 'MAD1083' Parentage: Adenium "arabicum ", 'Hansoti Dwarf' x 'Petch Ban Na'. Creator: Dimmitt, 2010. Plant form: This unnamed clone is a compact erect shrub with a large short-conical caudex. Plant shown is about 2 feet tall and wide at 11 years old. Performs better with a dry winter rest. Flower: Round, 60 mm diameter x 27 mm petal width. Petals medium pink edge, fading to near-white inner half. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring. Notes: Back to Menu

Adenium dhofarense Rzepecky Adenium dhofarense was described as a new species in 2015* ; it was previously considered part of A. "arabicum ". It occurs along the coast of Oman and extreme eastern Yemen, and is separated from A. "arabicum" by a 100 km gap where no adeniums occur. The plants are characterized by a broad, squat caudex up to a meter across.The stems are thin and usually floppy, and may root when they contact the ground. Some plants are erect. The leaves are the largest in the genus. The pink flowers usually appear in late spring before the plant leafs out. Flower size is usually small, but is variable. The plants grow very slowly. Adenium dhofarense in a 6-inch pot and is 3 years old from a tiny collected seedling. An Adenium "arabicum" of this age could be filling a 12-inch pot. Adenium dhofarense in a 6-inch pot at 6 years from a tiny collected seedling (different from one at left). This is a slow-growing species Typical flower of Adenium dhofarense . Adenium dhofarense in the wild Adenium dhofarense habitat on the cliffs above the Indian Ocean in Dhofar, Oman. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Adenium dhofarense near Mugsail, Oman (west of Salalah). The weak decumbent stems are characteristic of the species. Photos: Robert H. Webb. Bob Webb next to an Adenium dhofarense in Dhofar, Oman. Photo: Toni Yocum. Adenium dhofarense flowers in Dhofar, Oman. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Right: Toni Yocum next to an Adenium dhofarense in Dhofar, Oman. This plant has unusually erect stems. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Left and above: Adenium dhofarense in SW Yemen, showing its huge leaves. Photo: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Back to Top Gallery of images by Gaetano Moschetti Plants that grow in extreme habitats take on fantastic forms! Alain Rzepecky and Adenium dhofarense . Photo: Alain Rzepecky. Marie Rzepecky and Adenium dhofarense . Photo: Alain Rzepecky. Muhammad al Shanfari (left) and Alain Rzepecky with Adenium dhofarense . Photo: Alain Rzepecky. Alain Rzepecky and Adenium dhofarense . Photo: Alain Rzepecky. The surrounding 4 photos show that Adenium dhofarense can grow tall and erect . Click on the thumbnails to see full-size images. Photos: Alain Rzepecky. Back to Top Footnotes Citation * Rzepecky, A. 2015. Adenium dhofarense. A long overlooked species from the central-southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Cact. Succ. J. (U.S.) 87(3):129–135.

Adenium somalense Stapf Adenium somalense occurs in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and a bit into adjacent nations. The most common form in cultivation grows a tall, conical, succulent trunk, but there are also shrubby forms with subterranean caudexes. Only A. "arabicum" and socotranum have larger caudexes. The most identifiable vegetative characters are the conical caudex and light-colored veins in the leaves. The flowers are rather small, 1 to 2 inches wide. The flowers typically have narrow pointed petals (star-shaped flowers) that are white or pink with dark pink or red borders. Prominent nectar guides in the throat extend onto the petals as fainter lines, not as bold as those of most A. crispum flowers. It is not common in cultivation in the USA, but is fairly popular in more tropical countries. Adenium somalense in a 30-inch pot at a nursery in Bangkok, Thailand; the plant is 10 years old. The cutting at the base is in a 4-inch pot. Adenium somalense grown in Tucson, Arizona. It's 9 feet tall at 17 years old from seed, but has lost its roots to rot twice because of cold weather. The plants I have from Shaba National Park in Kenya are very prone to root-rot. Note the 12-inch ruler at the base. Flowers of 2 Adenium somalense clones from Shaba N.P., Kenya. The nectar guides of the flower above extend onto the petals. Two large A. somalense in a Bangkok, Thailand nursery. A multi-trunked specimen of A. somalense in Tucson, Arizona. Note the 12-inch ruler. A collected plant of the sand form of A. somalense in Tucson, Arizona. Notice the roots near the top of the bulbous caudex; these were just below the surface in nature. A fat specimen of A. somalense breaking its pot in Tucson, Arizona. An arborescent A. somalense in Tucson, Arizona. Not all clones grow huge trunks, either in nature or cultivation. Back to Top Adenium somalense in the Wild Adenium somalense east of Bargal, Somalia. Photo: Myron Kimnach Adenium somalense east of Bargal, Somalia. Photo: Myron Kimnach Adenium somalense near Bargal, Somalia. Photo: Myron Kimnach Anton Ellert next to an Adenium somalense near Lake Borgoria, Kenya. Photo: Robert H. Webb Toni Yocum next to an Adenium somalense in Kenya. Photo: Robert H. Webb Toni Yocum in an Adenium somalense in Kenya. Photo: Robert Webb Toni Yocum next to an Adenium somalense in Kenya. Photo: Robert H. Webb Above two: Two old A. somalense in Ethiopia. Photos: Jim and Roxie Esterle Above: A monstrous specimen of Adenium somalense in Ethiopia. Inset: the flower. Photo: Jim & Roxie Esterle. Above & right: It isn't certain that all of these plants in Ethiopia are Adenium somalense . Some of the flowers look more like those of the unknown taxa in the Sahel . Photos: Jim & Roxie Esterle. Right: The foliage and flower look those of A. "obesum ", or possibly A. coetanum . Photo: Jim & Roxie Esterle. Adenium somalense near Lake Baringo, Kenya. Photo: Boris Vrskovy. Adenium somalense in full bloom near Hola, Kenya. Photo: Rainer Martin (sent by Boris Vrskovy). Adenium somalense in Ethiopia. Photo: Boris Vrskovy. Three above: Flowers of Adenium somalense in Ethiopia. The center one is in Mago National Park NE of Lake Turkana. Photos: Boris Vrskovy. Above and Right: Adenium somalense near Lake Baringo, Kenya. Photos: Gaetano Moschetti. Above: Adenium somalense near Lake Baringo, Kenya. Photos: Gaetano Moschetti. Left and above: An enormous Adenium somalense near Lake Baringo, Kenya. It's surrounded by a colony of Sanseveieria with 6-foot tall leaves. Photos: Gaetano Moschetti. A shrubby Adenium somalense on the Yabelo-Konso road in SW Ethiopia.. Photo: Gaetano Moschetti. Left and above: A beautiful, red-flowered Adenium somalense in Kenya. The nectar guides extend unusually far onto the petals. Photos: Gaetano Moschetti. Left and above: Two enormous Adenium somalense specimens in Kenya. Photos: Rob Skillin. An isolated Adenium somalense on the ascent to Celdora Pass from Las Korei, Somalia. Photo: John Lavranos. Above: The sand form of Adenium somalense in northern Somalia. Most of the large caudex is below ground. Photo: Thomas Price. Left & below: Adenium somalense between Erigabo* & Burao** , Somaliland. Photo: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Above 3: Adenium somalense near Karinga, Kenya, ca. 70 km north of Nairobi. (The very different appearing shrubby Adenium "obesum " occurs about an equal distance southeast of Nairobi.) Photos: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Back to Top Footnotes Erigabo, also spelled as Erigavo and Ceerigaabo. Burao, also spelled Burrao, Bur'ao, and Burco.

Adenium "arabicum " Balf. f. Adenium "arabicum" occurs in a narrow strip along the southwestern coast of the Arabian peninsula. The specific epithet is enclosed in double quotation marks because it is an incorrect name. See the page on Nomenclature Issues for details. Plants in cultivation are almost all spreading shrubs with huge, squat caudexes (but see the section on wild variation below). They are usually vigorous and can grow to several feet tall and wide in 10 years with generous culture. Stems are sturdy and upright or ascending. Foliage is quite variable in size and shape, but are usually recognizable by aficionados of the genus. Leaves may be shiny-smooth or softly hairy; this trait has no taxonomic relevance. Compact and dwarf plants exist in cultivation and in the wild. Flowers are usually 1.5 to 2 inches wide, with petals varying from narrow and pointed (star-shaped flowers) to broad and overlapping (circular flowers). Flowers are almost invariably some shade of pink at the margins and fading to white at the throat. The throat is white or yellow, with or without nectar guides. The anther appendages extend to the edge of the throat or a little beyond. Most plants flower profusely in spring before leafing out. Large plants tend to be evergreen. Some varieties flower mainly in summer, and selected clones also flower sporadically throughout the year. Adenium "arabicum " 'Yemeni Giant ', 3 years old in 12-inch pot. They can grow even faster. Flower of Adenium "arabicum " plant at left . An Adenium "arabicum " with star-shaped flowers Adenium "arabicum " 'Sheila Collenette ' from Saudi Arabia. This plant is in the ground under a fiberglass roof. It had just survived a few nights of 22° F (-5° C) with only minor tip damage. The plant is 8 years old with a caudex more than a foot wide. Adenium "arabicum " 'Sheila Collenette ' from Saudi arabia, same plant as one at left flowering a year later. This plant has glabrous leaves; these are found scattered among the more common hairy-leafed plants. Adenium "arabicum" from Jebel Shada, Saudi Arabia. This plant was the fastest growing in a batch of seedlings. It is 11 years old in a 42-inch pot; the caudex is almost 3 feet across. Adenium "arabicum " flower on a plant from Jebel Shada, Saudi Arabia. This one lacks nectar guides. Adenium "arabicum" 'Hansoti Dwarf' has reddish flowers. This clone has been in cultivation in India since at least the 1930s. It most likely originated on the Aden Peninsula, the type locality for A. "arabicum" . Adenium "arabicum " flower with dark color. This A. "arabicum" has near-white flowers. Back to Top Left: Adenium "arabicum" grows large enough to make splendid landscape plants in tropical climates, such as this one in Florida USA. Photo: Ray Lemieux "Thai socotranum" & other dwarf A. "arabicum " Adenium "Thai socotranum ", also called "Thai soco", are not related to Adenium socotranum . They are in fact dwarf forms of A. "arabicum " bred in Asia. They are extremely popular, and there are many named varieties. The names of Thai soco plants are treated as cultivars, but they are probably not. They are defined by their physical forms that are created not only by their genetics, but largely by how they are groomed (pruned and trained) to look like miniature examples of wild Adenium socotranum (Ashish Hansoti, written communication). Thus the names are more like the terms that define bonsai styles. There are dwarf populations and isolated individuals of A. "arabicum" in nature. There are also dwarf cultivars that were developed outside of Asia. See below and the superior cultivars page. Left: Adenium "arabicum " 'Petch Na Wan ' was purchased as a small seedling in 2009. Far left: plant at 14 years old. Near left: 22 years old. Not pruned or trained. Right: Adenium "arabicum " 'Golden Crown' was purchased as a small seedling in 2003. Shown at 17 years old, not pruned or trained. Left: Adenium "arabicum " 'MAD967' is a seedling from 'Petch Na Wan, shown at 10 years old. Not pruned or trained. Right: Adenium "arabicum " 'MAD965' is a seedling from the Thai soco 'Petch Ban Na' crossed with the wild collected 'Hansoti Dwarf', shown at 10 years old. Not pruned or trained. Back to Top Left: Adenium "arabicum " 'Arbolito' is a seedling from 'RCN' ('Queen of a Thousand Flowers'), which is a huge plant. Most of the seeds I grew were big plants, but one became this miniature tree; it's 2 feet tall at 11 years old. Not pruned or trained. Adenium "arabicum" in the wild This gallery shows some of the huge variation that is found in wild A. "arabicum" . Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette April 1995. Adenium "arabicum" , an arborescent specimen in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Adenium "arabicum" near Talalah, Saudi Arabia. This is a high elevation form dwarfed by freezing temperatures. The stems don't extend beyond the protection of the overhanging rock. Photo: Sheila Collenette. An arborescent Adenium "arabicum" in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. A beautiful Adenium "arabicum" tree near Haqw (between Muhayl and Ad Darb, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Several plants of Adenium "arabicum" growing on a rock outcrop near Lejib Gorge (Wadi Lajab), Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. A huge specimen of Adenium "arabicum" near Moraiwa, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. A huge Adenium "arabicum" near the base of Al Abna Descent, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Above and below: Flowers of Adenium "arabicum" in Saudi Arabia. Photos: Sheila Collenette. A huge tree of Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. This mountain has both shrubby and arborescent adeniums, as well as dwarf ones at high elevations where they are frost-pruned. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Toni Yocum. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Toni Yocum. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Above: Flowers of two Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Below: typical foliage of the species. Photos: Robert H. Webb. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. A 3-trunked Adenium "arabicum" , intermediate form between shrub and tree. Near Al Mukalla, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Adenium "arabicum" near Al Mukalla, central Yemen coast. At least 5 plants are visible in the center image. Inset: Flower from this locality. Photos: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Toni Yocum with an Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. This population has many arborescent specimens. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Above: Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Soodah, Saudi Arabia. A fruit from one of these plants founded the Soodah Dwarf strain in cultivation. All of the seeds produced dwarf plants, even though there are arborescent plants nearby. Photo: Tom McCoy. Right: Adenium "arabicum" collected as a tiny seedling on Jabal Shamsan, Aden Peninsula, Yemen, by John Lavranos #1694. This is the type locality of A. "arabicum" . Left, above, right, & below: Adenium "arabicum" in high mountains near Al Bahah, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Left, above, & right: Adenium "arabicum" near Tihama, Yemen. Photo: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Back to Top Footnotes

Adenium multiflorum Klotsch Adenium multiflorum is native to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Wild plants range from scraggly understory shrubs to erect shrubs more than 8 feet tall. There is usually no distinct caudex, but the roots and stems become quite thick in older plants. It has the second largest leaves in the genus (after A. boehmianum ). Flowers are borne in profusion during winter when the plants are leafless. Plants have an obligate winter dormancy, and seem to require a cold (but above freezing) winter to stimulate flowering. The diagnostic features of this species are the white flowers with narrow red edges that bloom in winter, and the anther appendages that are exserted well beyond the throat that has prominent nectar guides. If your plant has picoteed flowers that bloom in other seasons when in leaf, it is not A. multiflorum . This species is not widely grown. The likely reasons are its slow growth and the need for a cool fall with strong winter light to flower well. Moreover, most people are not shopping for tropical plants during winter. Left and above: Adenium multifllorum flowers only in winter while leafless. This plant, 'MAD 110', is ten years old. Above: Flower of A. multiflorum 'MAD 110' Note the exserted anther appendages. The broad leaves of A. multiflorum . Only those of A. boehmianum are larger. Left and above: Caudex and flower of A. multiflorum 'Gus Spartas'. The plant was grown from a small seedling collected in Zimbabwe in 1998. The flowers of this plant have particularly wide and bright margin. Left and Above: A. multiflorum 'MAD 1', my first accessioned adenium cultivar. The plant in the photo is 29 years old. Above: A. multiflorum with a narrow picotee. Collection of Ashish Hansoti. Adenium multiflorum in the Wild Above: John Bliznak next to an Adenium multiflorum in Limpopo National Park, Mozambique. (The plant had been transplanted to a ranger station.) Photo: John Bliznak Above: Adenium multiflorum recently imported from Mozambique. Photo: John Bliznak Above: Adenium multiflorum in Thornybush Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. After wet winters this species may flower with persistent leaves. (In biology there is an exception to every rule!) Plant and flowers of A. multiflorum in Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa. This specimen was transplanted to a display garden at the Paul Kruger entrance gate. Photos: Sheryl Hayes. Most plants of A. multiflorum in Kruger N.P. are scrawny understory shrubs, probably because they're trampled by wildlife. These flowers lack a sharp red edge. Left and above: Plant and flowers of A. multiflorum at the entrance to the lodge at Thornybush Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Back to Top A gorgeous specimen of A. multiflorum , location unknown. Photo: Frandsen. [Lost contact; please help] Footnotes