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Contribute Photos and Other Information Please help add to our knowledge about Adeniums. Criteria for contributing images and other information to this website Contributions of photos and information about adeniums are welcome. Contributors will be gratefully acknowledged. Please pay careful attention to the different goals: COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS, AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This fo rm is for submitting text and links to information sources. The latter is important: If the information is not your personal knowledge, please document where you obtained it - the first-hand source (personal communication to you), or a published article or website link. PHOTOS Use this form to contribute photos of wild plants, or cultivars that are substantially different from what is already on this site. A. Wild adenium plants : There is very little detailed information about the geographic distribution of adeniums. (There are only about 200 herbarium specimens from all of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.) It’s also known that their natural variability is much greater than what is represented in cultivation. Plants seem to be distributed in isolated populations, and some of the wild plants that I have seen photos of are diff icult to assign to a known taxon . To further our collective knowledge of this beautiful genus: 1. When possible, please include images of the plant in habitat , a close-up of the plant (s), and close-ups showing the leaves, flowers, and/or fruit . 2. Photos of multiple specimens are desirable for each locality to show the local variability. (For example, both shrubby-dwarfs and arborescent A. “arabicum ” can grow in the sa me locality. Flower color and shape can also vary greatly.) 3. Provide at least fairly precise locality data . -For example, “Saudi Arabia” is not useful, -while “southwest of Sanaa, Yemen” and “Jabal Shada, S. Arabia” are okay, and -“hills near south end of Lake Eyasi, Kenya” is good information. 4. Plants that are not along major roads are especially valuable. 5. Plants that are very different from what's typical of the region are also treasured. For example, the plants of "obesum"(?) near Lake Eyasi , Kenya, with flowers that look like those of swazicum; or "somalense nova", scattered populations among "obesum" territory. B. Cultivars : Acceptance of cultivars is more narrow. This website is not intended to be an encyclopedia of named adeniums. There are many thousands, most of which are no longer in existence. Criteria for addition: 1. It stands out among the multitude of adeniums in at least one major trait… 2. Or it is historically important , e.g., as the founder of a major breeding line. 3. And it is substantially different from other cultivars already on this website. 3. It has been propagated and distributed to others, at least locally. C. In all cases, please send large photos , at least 1500 px or 2 MB, up to 15 MB. Comments, Corrections, and Additional Information. First name Last name Email Write a message Upload File Upload supported file (Max 15MB) Submit Thanks for submitting! Contribute Photos Your Name Email Category of contribution * Required Wild Plant Cultivar For Wild Plants Location (specific as possible) For Cultivars Parentage (if known, e.g., arabicum x obesum, or arabicum 'Shada' x obesum 'Dazzler') Distinguishing Traits* Proposed cv. name Creator (if known), or Place Obtained Upload File Upload supported file (Max 15MB) Submit Thanks for contributing! Adenium 'National Beauty'

Adenium oleifolium Stapf Adenium oleifolium occurs in South Africa and extreme southern Botswana. It is the smallest species in the genus. The caudex is subterranean, the stems are scarcely succulent, and rarely reach a foot tall. Plants in cultivation have small flowers are usually pale pink, with yellow throats and prominent red nectar guides. The anther appendages are just shorter than the tube, or may be slightly exserted. Wild plants come in a wide range of sizes and colors from white through pink to dark red. Plant and foliage of A. oleifolium . The plant is in a 6-inch pot and is about 6 years old. Flower of A. oleifolium . Note the yellow throat and moderately long anther appendages. A. oleifolium selected for darker flower color. Three seed-grown plants of A. oleifolium, several years old. Nectar guides may extend partway onto the petals. Those of A. crispum usually extend much farther toward petal tips. The petals are often narrow, but not as quilled as those of A. crispum . Leaves of A. oleifolium are longer and narrower than those of A. crispum , and lack the white veins. Photos: David Palzkill. Adenium oleifolium in the Wild A population of A. oleifolium near Uppington, Northern Cape, South Africa. The flower collection at right shows some of the variation at this locality. Variable traits include flower size, petal color and width, presence and prominence of nectar guides, and length of anther appendages. The variation is much greater than in any other Adenium taxon that I know of. Photos: Dawie Human. Left: An old plant of A. oleifolium collected from the wild . In nature the caudex was below ground. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Back to Top Footnotes

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.

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 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

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

Superior Cultivars of Adenium "obesum " Back to Gallery 'Amiability' 'Arrogant' 'Big Mama' 'Black Asia' 'Black Ruby' 'Daeng Siam' 'Golden Sun' 'Great General' 'Grumbley White' 'La Hong Thong' 'Home Run' 'Red Everbloomer' 'Red Henny 4n' 'Royal Robe' 'Snow Lotus' 'Tradewinds #20' 'Amiability' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: Received from Ming Huey Chen, Taiwan, with note: "Ming Huey #7, long-time favorite Taiwan Red strain. Looks like 'Daeng Nabanant, but much more vigorous. " Plant form: A sturdy, erect shrub, taller than wide, with large bright green leaves. Tends to be evergreen. Plant at right is 7 years old on a graft, about 3 feet x 2 feet. Flower: Round, 105 mm diameter x 50 mm petal width. Petals bright red with almost no fading near throat. Petals often have a narrow black edge in mild weather. Throat white with no nectar guides. Blooms mostly in spring and fall. Notes: As described above, this is an early member of the Taiwan Red strain, distinguished by their large bright green leaves and impressively big, bright red flowers. This clone's stems are unusually sturdy for the species. Left: Under ideal conditions, new flowers of 'Amiability' have a black edge, which fades with age as shown in the inflorescence at right. Back to Menu Above and below: A greenhouse full of 'Arrogant' at T.W. Lee's nursery in Taiwan. 'Arrogant' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: Unknown, Taiwan; widely produced by 2008. Plant form: A spreading shrub with small caudex when grown on own roots. Large bright green leaves, evergreen. Stems fairly sturdy for the species. Flower: Round, very large, 95 mm diameter x 41 mm petal width. Petals deep velvety red, with black margin in mild weather; almost no fading toward throat. Throat white or yellowish with faint nectar guides. Notes: This clone is one of the early members of the Taiwan Red strain, distinguished by their large bright green leaves and impressively big, bright red flowers. The cv. name 'Arrogant' is a literal translation of the Chinese name Chien Jiao (?); a better translation would be something like "Charming". Back to Menu Above: a flower of 'Arrogant' at its best. 'Big Mama' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: unknown Plant form: Giant shrub with massive caudex (swollen roots), much larger than is typical of the species. Flower: Small, star-shaped, petals have pink edge (closeup is oversaturated) with light pink interior, bright yellow throat with faint nectar guides. Notes: John Lucas formerly of Tradewinds South Nursery in Florida, pollinating 'Big Mama' in 1999. Photos: Walter Michot. Back to Menu '(Double) Black Asia' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: ? Plant form: Very weak stems can't support the heavy flowers; needs regular pruning. Flower: Fully double (flore pleno); in mild weather the petals are saturated dark red with sharp black edges. In hot weather or with age flowers are solid medium-red. The flowers often fail to open because the numerous petals get stuck. Notes: It isn't clear whether the cv. name should include "double". Back to Menu Right: The stems of this cv. are too weak to support the flowers. 'Black Ruby' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator/Origin: Discovered in a Florida nursery by James Georgusis and introduced by John Lucas of Tradewinds South Nursery in the early 1990s. Plant form: Medium-sized shrub with an unusually well-developed conical caudex for this species; stems typically weak. Flower: Semi-star-shaped, 83 mm diameter x 31 mm wide petals; petals deep red with sharp black margins; white throat with no nectar guides. In very hot weather the black margin does not develop and the flowers are medium-red. Blooms profusely in spring and sporadically at other seasons. Notes: This is one of the first bright red-flowered adeniums to appear in the USA. The plant looks like it may be of the Taiwan Red strain, but its origin has not been traced. It is the parent of numerous early hybrids. Above left: 'Black Ruby' in full bloom. The grafted plant is about 8 years old. Above right: A four-year-old cutting already has a good conical caudex. Back to Menu Above left: A new flower of 'Black Ruby' in perfect condition. Above right: In hot weather or with age the flowers lose the black edge. 'Daeng Siam' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: Unknown; probably originated in Taiwan, where almost all adenium breeders were at the time. I found it at Somsak's nursery in Bangkok in 2000. Plant form: Medium-sized, spreading shrub with modest caudex. Tends to be evergreen. Flower: Round, 88 mm diameter x 33 mm petal width. New flowers are red with narrow purple margins, fading in a week to rich pink with lavender margins. Throat yellowish to white with no nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring with a lesser flush in autumn. Notes : When I found this plant in 2000, the vendors were excited to promote the "new color". But I found almost identical plants under different names at other nurseries and in other countries, including Champoo Taiwan, Optimize, Red Sang Ped, and Daeng Saeng Petch. I also found a pure red "obesum" in Thailand named Daeng Siam. Whatever this clone is called, even better bicolors are available today. For example, see ' Royal Robe ' . Above: This four-year-old cutting of 'Daeng Siam' is about two feet tall and wide in a 14-inch pot. Near-right: A new flower of 'Daeng Siam' in perfect condition. Far right: An inflorescence showing color change with age. Back to Menu 'Golden Sun' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: Unknown, Taiwan before 2008. Plant form: Known only on grafts, it's a medium-sized shrub with very weak stems. Flower: Quite large, round: 97 mm diameter x 45 mm petal width. Petals white with broad deep red margin. Throat white with a few prominent nectar guides. Notes: There were already several cultivars with very similar flowers by 2008, and all that I saw had weak stems. This is pure A. "obesum ", not A. multiflorum , because it blooms during the warm season while in leaf. Some vendors erroneously sell such plants with picoteed flowers as multiflorum . Back to Menu Above: Adeniums with red-picoteed flowers are sometimes confused with A. multiflorum . But flowering in during the growing season with leaves is proof that they are A. "obesum ". Above: Five-year-old Adenium 'Great General' grafted onto a sturdy rootstock. Plant is about two feet high and three feet wide in a 14-inch pot. 'Great General' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: C.F. Chang, Taiwan, before 2008. Plant form: A large, vigorous, spreading to drooping shrub. Sold only as grafted plants; on its own roots it's a weak grower with almost no caudex. The stems are weak and need pruning every few years to maintain an attractive shape. Flower: Huge, round to nearly circular (if the petals were not ruffled), 98 mm diameter x 46 mm petal width. Petals intense crimson with almost no fading toward the throat. Throat pure white with no nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring. Notes: This cv. is outstanding for more than its huge almost 4-inch flowers. It's a natural tetraploid "obesum ", the only one that I've encountered. It can therefore hybridize with the naturally 4n species A. "arabicum " and its 4n interspecific hybrids. The offspring are often very large plants with huge deep red flowers; but the stems and caudexes still need improvement. Back to Menu Above: The magnificent flower of 'Great General'. 'Grumbley White' (aka 'Snowbell', Rowley 1999*), aka 'Ina White'? Parentage: Adenium "obesum" Origin: Wild origin. Plant form: Medium-sized, fairly erect shrub with small caudex. Flower: Star-shaped, 65 mm diameter x 18 mm petal width. Petals pure white; throat white with no nectar guides. Blooms mostly in spring. Notes : Ken Oulton of Malindi, Kenya collected it. Tom Grumbley, also of Malindi, propagated and shared it with Seymour Linden and Gerald Barad in the USA in 1992. They distributed it as 'Grumbley White'. At about the same time an apparently identical plant appeared in Asia called 'Ina White'. Rowley (1999) published the US cv. as 'Snowbell'. This clone is one of two that probably triggered the surge in adenium popularity that began in the 1990s. Combined with the introduction of 'Crimson Star', it showed Asian growers that adeniums could be had in colors other than the common pink. This spindly shrub and its small flowers are mediocre by today's standards, but most of the white-flowered A. "obesum" in cultivation are probably descended from 'Grumbley White'. Above: A 14-year-old cutting of 'Grumbley White' in a 16-inch pot. The stems are thin, but still sturdier than those of most "obesum". Left: The small flower of 'Grumbley White'. Check out modern white-flowered "obesum" cultivars to see what breeders have created from this humble wild plant. Back to Menu 'La Hong Thong' NEED PHOTO OF PLANT Parentage: Adenium "obesum" Origin: Unknown; already widely available in Bangkok, Thailand in 2000. Plant form: Medium-sized shrub with fairly sturdy stems and modest caudex. Tends to be evergreen. Flower: Round, medium-sized, 78 mm diameter x 32 mm petal width; outer 2/3 of petals bright red, fading to white at throat. Throat white with no nectar guides. One of the earliest adeniums to have a high flower count - more than twice the standard of 5 per inflorescence. Notes: This cv. is indistinguishable from 'Tropical Sun', which was sold in the USA in the early 2000s Back to Menu 'Home Run' Parentage: A. "obesum " Creator: Juin Shen Lee, Taiwan, before 2000. Plant form: Typical for the species: a weak-stemmed shrub with little caudex development. Almost always grafted onto big rootstocks. Large leaves are semi-evergreen. Flower: very large, 105 mm diameter x 48 mm petal width (4+ inches!). Petal color of newly-opened flowers varies with temperature. The most stunning variant has deep, velvety-red petals with no fading toward the throat, and a black margin. The margin may be narrow, or sometimes the outer halves of the petals are black, feathering into the red lower halves. In hot weather (>100F/38C) the flowers open pure red. In all cases flowers fade to lighter shades as they age. Blooms profusely in spring, often with a smaller flush in autumn. Notes: This is probably the best of the Taiwan Red strain, distinguished by large bright green leaves and large bright red flowers. The Chinese name is "hon bu zhan", which sounds something like "home run". The name means "better than red". Left: Note by my host Jung-Sheng Lin (Sinox Horticulture, Kaohsiung) about 'Home Run'. Back to Menu Above: 'Home Run' grafted onto a 3-foot tall 'Arabian Ruby' caudex. Above and below: A selection of the flower colors of 'Home Run', which vary greatly with temperature and age. Above: 'Red Everblomer' has sturdier branches than typical "obesum". Left: a 4-year-old cutting. Right: a much older plant on its own roots, about 6 feet tall. 'Red Everbloomer' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: Dimmitt selection, 1979. Plant form: Erect, well-branched shrub, with sturdier branches than is typical of the species. Modest caudex in original seedling; cuttings develop massive roots. Tends to be evergreen. Flower: Semi-star-shaped but with rounded petal tips, 66 mm diameter x 25 mm petal width. Outer halves of petals medium-red, fading to near white at throat. Throat white with no or a few faint nectar guides. Blooms year-round in tropical conditions. Notes : Selected from a batch of second generation seedlings from four plants purchased from Grigsby Cactus Gardens in the mid 1970s. This was an excellent red at the time when nearly all A. "obesum " had pink flowers. It's useful to compare it with recent cultivars to realize how far adenium breeding has progressed in the 40 years since 1980. This plant is also important as the parent of the first good red-flowered hybrid, 'Crimson Star ' . Back to Menu Left: Compare this humble beginning with today's red-flowered "obesum" selections! 'Red Henny 4n' (aka 'FC-1') Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: Richard J. “Jake” Henny, Florida USA, early 2000s Plant form: A vigorous, spreading shrub with notably thick stems and a modest caudex. Tends to be evergreen. Flower: round to nearly circular,very large, 90 mm diameter x 46 mm petal width. Petals have a wide red or deep pink margin (paler in hot weather), fading to near-white at throat. Throat yellow with no nectar guides. Blooms repeatedly year round, most heavily in spring. Notes: This is reportedly the first induced tetraploid, by treating seeds from an ordinary "obesum" with colchicine. (What would result from treating today's superior cultivars?) The original name was FC-1, because Henny verified its tetraploid status by measuring the quantity of DNA with flow cytometry. Back to Menu A 9-year-old cutting of 'Red Henny (4n)'. Tetraploid plants tend to have sturdier stems than diploids, but this clone still has rather weak stems that should be pruned every few years to maintain a more attractive form. This plant is getting pretty floppy. Left: The huge and well-shaped flower of 'Red Henny (4n)'. Flowers will be paler in weather above 100 F/38 C. Above: 'Royal Robe' grows well on its own roots, which develop a pseudocaudex in time. Plant is in a 14-inch pot. 'Royal Robe' Parentage: Adenium "obesum", ['Saenglasame' x ('Saenglasame' x 'Daeng Siam')] Creator: Dimmitt, 2001. Plant form: A large, vigorous, fairly upright shrub that develops massive roots. Nearly evergreen. Flower: Semi-star-shaped, 70 mm diameter x 30 mm petal width. Petals open deep red with narrow purple margin, aging to light red with lavender margin. Throat light yellow with no nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring and sporadically the rest of the year. Notes: There are numerous other beautiful bicolor obesums, including double flowers. Above: New (left) and older flowers of 'Royal Robe'. Back to Menu 'Snow Lotus' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " Creator: C.F. Chang, Taiwan, before 2008. Plant form: A vigorous large, spreading shrub with lush foliage and a small caudex. Almost always grown on grafts. Flower: Round, 80 mm diameter x 35 mm petal width. Petals pure white; throat yellow (sometimes greenish) with no nectar guides. Blooms profusely in spring and sporadically the rest of the year. Notes : There are now many excellent white-flowered cultivars of A. "obesum" . Most, perhaps all, are descended from 'Grumbley White'. Back to Menu NEED PHOTO OF PLANT Above: The dazzling white flowers of 'Snow Lotus'. 'Tradewinds #20' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " ('Black Ruby' x 'Ruby 2') Creator: John Lucas, Tradewinds South Nursery, late 1990s. Plant form: A medium-sized, erect shrub with massive roots. Evergreen. Flower: Round, 84 mm diameter x 33 mm petal width. Petals deep crimson with a broad black border, fading only slightly toward throat. Throat white with very faint nectar guides. Prolific bloomer; season unrecorded. Notes: John Lucas produced a number of superb cultivars in the early days of adenium breeding. I hope this cv. is still in existence; it's a stunner. Left: the flowers of 'Tradewinds #20' look incandescent. Photo: John Lucas. Right: 'Tradewinds #20' has massive roots, especially for an "obesum". Photo: John Lucas. Back to Menu Citation Footnotes Rowley, Gordon, 1999. Pachypodium and Adenium. The Cactus File Handbook 5. David Neville, series editor. Nuffield Press, Oxford.

Nomenclature Issues The nomenclature of adeniums has two interconnected errors, as detailed in Dimmitt and Edwards 2021 . Here is the short version: 1. The first adenium was described by Forsskal in 1775. The type specimen was a plant from Milhan, western Yemen. He thought that it was a succulent oleander and named it Nerium obesum . 2. In 1819 Roemer and Schultes decided that this plant belonged in its own genus and renamed it Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult.. 3. In 1888 Balfour Jr. described a plant from Jabal Shamsan on the Aden Peninsula of Yemen as Adenium arabicum . 4. Since then most botanists have come to the opinion that all of the adeniums in Saudi Arabia and Yemen are the same species. The DNA analysis (Dimmitt and Edwards 2021 ) verified this opinion. The rules of nomenclature dictate that when two published species are determined to be the same, the earlier publication has priority. Therefore Adenium obesum is the valid name for all adeniums on the Arabian Peninsula (except for those in Oman and far southeastern Yemen that were segregated as A. dhofarense ). 5. But recognizing correct name for the Saudi Arabian and Yemeni adeniums would cause confusion because there are plants in East Africa named A. “obesum ”. They are different from the Arabian plants, so they need a new name. Here’s where it gets complicated: 6. Dimmitt and Edwards’ study found that A. “obesum”, A. somalense, and A. crispum in East Africa are genetically so similar (in the 5 loci sequenced) that their taxonomic level can’t be confidently determined. They could be three distinct species, or one highly variable species. Furthermore, there are no known specimens of adeniums from the Sahel region from Sudan to Senegal that are available to be studied, so we have no idea what species (singular or plural) that they belong to. Several other species have been published from this East Africa/Sahel region whose identities are also not settled. These include A. arboreum, coetanum, honghel, micranthum, speciosum, and tricholepis. 7. To settle these issues, much more field work and DNA analysis of the adeniums in East Africa and the Sahel are needed. If anyone can obtain leaves, seeds, or photos of these plants, especially from Ethiopia westward, they would have tremendous scientific and horticultural value. Footnotes

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Adenium swazicum Stapf Adenium swazicum occurs in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and adjacent parts of South Africa. The stems tend to be weak and decumbent, and the caudex (actually swollen roots) tends to be underground. Plants flower in late summer and fall (some clones flower most of the year). The best distinguishing character is the petals of solid color (no fading toward the throat), which is darker in color and lacks nectar guides. In addition, the anther appendages are very short and hidden within the tube. A. boehmianum is the only other species that shares these floral traits. The 2 species are distinguished by growth form: swazicum is a lax shrub while boehmianum is erect and usually arborescent. White flowers occur in cultivation. A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink '. This clone is a more sturdy plant than is typical of the species, and it flowers year-round. Flower of A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink'. A. swazicum flower. A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson ' . This clone has the typical weak stems of the species, but it blooms 9 months a year with very dark purple flowers. A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson ' . A. swazicum double flower. It does not appear to be in circulation. Photo: John Lucas Adenium swazicum in the Wild Adenium swazicum in the Hlane Game Reserve, northeastern Eswatini. The plants are often short because they are periodically burned to the ground in brush fires and grazed by impala. Photos: James Culverwell Note: A. swazicum is becoming rare and difficult to find because it is extensively collected by local people for medicine. I would love to post more photos of this plant in the wild. If you have any, please contribute photos and a description using this form . Due credit will be given. Back to Top Footnotes