Double Flowered Cultivars

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 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.

Back to Gallery Cultivars of Rare Crosses or Unknown Parentage Here are a few oddballs that don't fit anywhere else. 'Beautiful Mule' 'Flame Tree' 'Bohemian Splash' 'Singapore' 'Candy Stripes' 'Crimson Picotee' 'Winter Remedy' 'Beautiful Mule' Parentage: Complex hybrid involving Adenium "obesum", swazicum, and crispum . ('Candy Stripes' x 'Black Raspberry') 'Candy Stripes' = A. crispum 'Famous Ancestor' x A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink' 'Black Raspberry' = A. crispum 'Famous Ancestor' x A. "obesum " 'Black Ruby' Creator: Dimmitt 2003 Plant form: Naturally arborescent with thick trunk, major branches, and massive roots. Foliage resembles that of "obesum", except for more prominent white veins as in crispum. Deciduous. It can also branch basally and become a shrub. Flower: Round at first; with age the petals elongate and quill, becoming more star-shaped. Diameter at one week 84 mm, 35 mm petal width. Petals solid crimson-red outer halves, fading to pink at throat. Throat red with darker red strong nectar guides that extend onto the petals halfway to the tips. There are white calluses where each pair of petals fuse at the throat. (They turn red in older flowers.) Flowers continuously from mid spring through late autumn. Notes: I had high hopes for this cultivar when it was young. I love tree adeniums, and the flowers borne at eye level. Alas, it's completely sterile, hence the name. It seems to have no pollen, and it has never set a fruit. Worse still, although it roots easily from cuttings, it is exceptionally susceptible to root rot. I have lost many plants from watering once too late in the fall or too early in the spring. I don't sell it except to the most avid and diligent collectors. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Beautiful Mule', 17 years old in an 18-inch pot. Far left: a new flower of adenium 'Beautiful Mule', showing excellent shape. Left: week-old flowers, showing how the petals elongate as the flower ages. The right photo shows more accurate color - crimson-red. Back to Menu Above: A grafted plant of adenium 'Bohemian Splash', about 7 years old. The original seedling is slow-growing. 'Bohemian Splash' (MAD639) Parentage: Complex hybrid involving Adenium boehmianum, "obesum", and crispum . A. boehmianum 'MAD193' x 'Happy Princess' Creator: Dimmitt 2010 Plant form: Vigorous (on grafts) upright shrub or tree with sturdy branches; tends to grow taller than wide. Deciduous. Flower: Round, 60 mm diameter x 26 mm petal width. Petals pink with many fine dark pink lines almost to the tips. Throat pinkish-red with prominent black nectar guides. Blooms prolifically from early summer to early winter. High flower count. Notes: This is my favorite boehmianum hybrid, because of its strong growth and profusion of colorful flowers. The great majority of boehmianum hybrids are weak and/or are very slow growing. They produce mostly inferior offspring in subsequent generations. Back to Menu Above: The flowers of adenium 'Bohemian Splash'. Left: A young grafted plant of adenium 'Bohemian Splash', about 2 years old. 'Candy Stripes' Parentage: Label lost; presumably Adenium crispum x swazicum . When this cross was made, the most likely parents were A. crispum 'Famous Ancestor' and A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink' Creator: Dimmitt 2000 Plant form: Erect, arborescent, with large roots and thick main stems. Deciduous. Flower: Semi-star, 80 mm diameter x 27 mm petal width. Petals dark pink with 3 fine dark pink lines to the tips and numerous short streaks. Flowers age to light pink. Throat red with darker red nectar guides. Blooms prolifically during the warm months. Notes: The dark throat and short anther appendages indicate swazicum parentage (if it were boehmianum , it should contribute larger leaves); while the petal markings have to come from crispum. Neither species is known for having sturdy stems, so this erect plant is a treasure. This clone grows well from cuttings. I know of no other crispum-swazicum hybrids. Above: A new (left) and old flower of 'Candy Stripes'. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Candy Stripes', 9 years old in a 24-inch box. Right: This hybrid of A. crispum x A. swazicum by JFR Exotics supports my conclusion about the parentage of 'Candy Stripes'. Photo: John Franklin Roosevelt. Back to Menu 'Crimson Picotee' Parentage: Primary hybrid between A. "obesum " and A. multiflorum . Creator: Dimmitt 1984 Plant form: Very large, erect shrub with thick, sturdy main branches and massive roots. Evergreen. Flower: Round-star, 70 mm diameter x 27 mm petal width. Petals white with broad bright red border. Throat white with few prominent nectar guides. Blooms sparsely but almost continuously year-round. Notes: I've made several "obesum"-multiflorum hybrids, but this was the only one worth keeping. The others were less vigorous, and flowered even more sparsely. Grows well from cuttings and makes a good grafting rootstock. Back to Menu Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Crimson Picotee', 10 feet tall in a 36-inch pot at 16 years old. Left two: the flowers of 'Crimson Picotee'. 'Flame Tree' Parentage: Complex hybrid of A. "obesum", swazicum, and somalense. ('Crimson Star' x A. somalense ) Creator: Dimmitt 1995 Plant form: Tree to at least 10 feet tall in 10 years, with thick cylindrical trunk. Roots not greatly swollen. Flower: Round/semi-star, 55 mm diameter x 20 mm petal width. Petals deep red, fading to near-white at the throat. Throat blackish-red with black nectar guides that extend halfway to petal tips as red lines. Notes: I have made only a few crosses with somalense, because I didn't have any good clones of the species until very recently. Such hybrids have little value as commercial pot plants because they get so big so fast. But they would make great landscape plants in tropical climates. I list this cultivar because I know of no similar hybrids. It also shows that somalense can contribute petal markings to hybrids. Do you have any somalense hybrids? Please contribute to our knowledge. Above left: The original seedling of adenium 'Flame Tree', 8 feet tall at 9 years old. Above right: The same plant at 17 years old, 10 feet tall in a 22-inch pot. Back to Menu Above: A 4-year-old cutting of adenium 'Singapore', already showing its conical caudex. 'Singapore' Parentage : Uncertain; possibly this is Adenium coetanum . See notes below. Origin: Introduced by the Singapore Botanical Garden in 1933. My plant is a cutting of Frank Horwood's clone from Abbey Garden. Plant form: Spreading shrub with conical caudex and swollen main stems. Evergreen. Flower: Very large, semi-star, 102 mm diameter x 30 mm petal width. Petals light pink with wide deep pink to light red margin. Throat white with few faint nectar guides. Blooms repeatedly during the warm months. Notes: This is the oldest named cultivar of adenium, dating to a time decades before adeniums became well known in horticulture. Albert Chan at the Singapore Botanic Garden showed the plant to the famous botanist Richard Eric Holttum. He identified the plant as A. coetanum , a taxon of questionable validity. There are a few herbarium specimens with this label that were collected from northern Uganda and Kenya south to northern Tanzania. Adeniums from this region are currently recognized as A. somalense in the north and A. "obesum " in the south. DNA analysis suggests that 'Singapore' is an obesum-somalense intergrade. Therefore it is probable, whatever its true identity is, that it originated in this region of East Africa. Frank Horwood succeeded in selfing his plant and obtained a handful of seedlings, which were fertile. All of the plants in the US labeled A. coetanum are probably descended from this one clone. Source: a 1980 letter from Frank Horwood . Above: The 4-inch flower of adenium 'Singapore'. Back to Menu Above: A 12-year-old cutting of adenium 'Singapore. 'Winter Remedy' Parentage: Adenium multiflorum x swazicum primary hybrid. (A. multiflorum 'MAD1' x A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink' Creator: Dimmitt 1987. Plant form: Spreading shrub with massive roots. Semi-deciduous. Flower: Round/semi-star, 77 mm diameter x 27 mm petal width. Petals with wide medium pink margin, fading to near-white at throat. Throat red with no nectar guides. Flowers fade to light pink in a week. Inflorescence is indeterminate, produces buds and flowers for about 3 months. Winter blooming. Notes: This is one of a small number of winter-blooming adeniums. Above left: The flower of adenium 'Winter Remedy'. Above right: A 3-month old indeterminate inflorescense. The first flower was where my two fingers are gripping the peduncle. Back to Menu Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Winter Remedy' at 16 years old in a 24-inch pot. Cuttings grow the same massive roots in several years.

Adenium crispum Adenium crispum occurs in a band of sandy soil near the coast of southern Somalia. (It has not been formally published as a full species, but as A. somalense var. crispum Chiov.) In nature the fusiform caudex is subterranean. Most of the root system arises from near the top of this caudex. In cultivation the caudex is raised above soil level, and the caudex reroots from the bottom. The stems are thin and rarely exceed a foot tall. The small flowers are very distinctive and serve as the best identifier: most clones have quilled petals (curled longitudinally). And most notably, the nectar guides extend well onto the petals, often all the way to the tips. (The flowers of some A. somalense have nectar guides onto the petals, but the petals are only slightly or not at all quilled.) The anther appendages often extend beyond the throat. Flat-petaled and solid red-petaled plants are known. It is not widely cultivated, probably because it is very cold-sensitive and intolerant of hot, humid weather. Adenium crispum , a collected plant. Note the scars from the original roots near the top of the caudex. An unusually tall A. crispum . W hen grafted onto a large rootstock, Adenium crispum can grow huge. This 5-year-old graft of 'Famous Ancestor ' is more than 2 meters tall, half of which is the rootstock. 4 years old in a 6-inch pot. 10 years old in a 12-inch bonsai pot. Above 3 photos: seed-grown Adenium crispum 'MAD 297', showing its slow growth through the years. 22 years old in a 16-inch bonsai pot. Flower of A. crispum 'Famous Ancestor ' with especially prominent, long nectar guides and strongly quilled petals. Back to Top A selection of Adenium crispum flowers in cultivation, showing variation in petal color, shape, and nectar guides. Adenium crispum in the Wild Adenium crispum near Warshak, Somalia Photo: Myron Kimnach Adenium crispum 40 km north of Mogadishu, Somalia on road to Warshedih Photos: John Lavranos Adenium crispum 40 km north of Mogadishu, Somalia on road to Warshedih. Photo: John Lavranos Two plants of Adenium crispum with solid red flowers. Above left: Somalia, location unknown. Photo: John Lavranos Above right: 40 km north of Mogadishu, Somalia. Photo: Gerald Barad. John Lavranos displays a recently collected plant of Adenium crispum in Somalia. Note the feeding roots on the top of the subterranean caudex. Photo: John Lavranos Back to Top Footnotes

Cultivars of Adenium dhofarense Back to Gallery None? I don't know of any selected cultivars of this species that are important to adenium horticulture. If you know of any, please submit photos and a description using this form . Due credit will be given.

Superior Cultivars of Adenium swazicum 'Boyce Thompson' Perpetual Pink 'Boyce Thompson' Parentage: Adenium swazicum Origin: Found, selected, and named by Dimmitt in the collection of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, ca.1982. Plant form: Spreading shrub with weak drooping stems typical of the species. No caudex, but grows massive roots. Deciduous for short winter dormancy. Flower: Semi-star, 70 mm diameter; petals uniformly dark purple, 25 mm wide; throat nearly black. Blooms from late spring to early winter. Notes: Distinctive for its very dark flowers and its huge contribution to early hybrids, especially 'Crimson Star ', that initiated the worldwide popularity of adeniums. A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson' a 23 year old cutting. This clone has the typical weak stems of the species, but it blooms up to 9 months a year with very dark purple flowers. Left: A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson' a 26 year old cutting. This the same plant as above, a year after a heavy pruning. Above and below: Two views of the flowers of Adenium swazicum 'Boyce Thompson'. Back to Menu Flower of A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink'. The shade varies somewhat with temperature. A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink', a 27 year old seedling. This clone is a more sturdy plant than is typical of the species, and it flowers year-round. 'Perpetual Pink' Parentage: Adenium swazicum Origin: Seedling selected by Dimmitt, 1980. Plant form: Vigorous spreading shrub with sturdier stems than typical of the species. No caudex, but grows massive roots. Deciduous for short winter dormancy. Flower: Nearly circular, 95 mm wide; petals uniformly medium pink, 48 mm wide; throat dark pink/purple. Blooms profusely mid summer to early winter. Notes: Distinctive for its densely bushy habit and large flowers. Back to Menu

Hybrids containing Adenium somalense nova & swazicum Waiting for contributions

Hybrids containing Adenium crispum & swazicum Hybrids between these two species have been made by a few people. The expectations for primary (1st generation) hybrids: Adenium swazicum should contribute round flowers with solid, intense petal color, dark throats, and massive roots. Adenium crispum should contribute narrow leaves with white veins, and small, star-shaped flowers with nectar guides extending well onto the petals. A. crispum is heavily dominant in hybrids with A. "obesum ", so I expect it to do so in this hybrid group. These young plants show traits from both parents. A. swazicum shows in the nearly solid petal color and dark throat, and short anther tails. A. crispum influence is revealed in the nectar guides onto the petals, and the narrow leaves with white veins. I expect that mature plants will have massive caudex and roots. Mr. Vaghela named the cross Krishna as a group, not a cultivar name for one clone. Photos: Hiren Vaghela.

Hybrids containing Adenium " arabicum", "obesum", & crispum Crossing “arabicum” x “obesum ” plants with “arabicum” x “crispum ” plants creates a trifecta, my ideal adenium: medium-sized plants (three to five feet [90-150 cm] tall, from the crispum parentage) with comparatively large caudexes (from "arabicum " and crispum ), sturdy stems (from "arabicum"), and large flowers (three-plus inches [76+ mm] from "obesum ") that often have splashed petals (from crispum ). The plants are fast-growing and quite cool-tolerant; they don’t get root rot even if watered in winter. Many are evergreen and flower almost year round. Seedlings flower in a year or two. Cuttings root easily and produce caudexes in a few years. (Cuttings are more economical than grafting as is required of most “obesum” x crispum hybrids because of the former species' usually poor caudex development and the latter’s slow growth.) What more could a plant breeder ask for? This breeding line is my main focus now, and it appears that no other hybridizers are working with any "arabicum " interspecific hybrids. While these plants can still grow too large for the mass commercial market, their size can be limited by hard culture. See the superior hybrids page for more images and descriptions. Above two images: Adenium 'St. Elmo's Fire' is a typical example of complex hybrids containing Adenium "arabicum ", "obesum ", and crispum . The plant above is ten years old in a 16-inch pot, and is about two feet (60 cm) tall and three feet (90 cm) wide. See the gallery of superior cultivars for more hybrids in this line. Above: Adenium 'Nearly Perfect #777'. Above: Adenium 'Starbright'. Above: Adenium 'Radiant Dawn'. Footnotes