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Dimmitt Adeniums is the comprehensive website for genus Adenium. We cover: plants in the wild, cultivars, care, and much more all from the mind of the master gardner Mark A. Dimmitt. This website is dedicated to the genus Adenium , commonly called adeniums and desert roses. My main purpose is to showcase their diversity both in the wild and in cultivation. I also provide guidance to cultivating the plants in hot, arid climates, based on my 40+ years of experience. The content was compiled by Dr. Mark Dimmitt of Tucson Arizona, with images and information contributed by many plant explorers and growers all over the world (credited in the photo captions) . The site was designed by Brian Rasmussen . I intend this website to be a comprehensive source of knowledge about Adeniums. I welcome your comments, corrections, and especially additions of new photos and information beyond what is already here. 'Beautiful Mule' 'OMG!'

Back to Gallery Cultivars of Adenium multiflorum 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.

Flower Shapes Flower shape in adeniums is a continuum from very narrow-petaled (extreme star shape) to nearly perfect circles. The shape is complicated by other characteristics such as quilled (rolled) or ruffled petals. Shapes on a single plant can also vary with weather and cultural conditions. I like the definitions of the four shapes that I made up below, but it is often difficult to classify many flowers on the border between two types. Star-shaped Star-shaped flowers have such narrow petals that the free limbs (the part beyond the fused floral tube) barely if at all overlap with each other. They usually also have pointed petal tips. Nearly all flowers of Adenium multiflorum are star-shaped. Adenium crispum 'Famous Ancestor' flowers are typical for the species: star-shaped and quilled, with nectar guides far onto the petals. Adenium "obesum " 'Grumbley White' flowers are very star-shaped. It's from a wild collection. More modern whites have round to circular flowers. 'Colorful and Wonderful', a hybrid of "obesum " and crispum . Flower of an Adenium somalense growing in Bangkok. The petal tips are fairly rounded; this flower could be called a semi-star. An old A. crispum hybrid with very narrow petals. 'Black Raspberry', an "obesum"-crispum hybrid 'Crimson Star' is approaching a semi-star because of the wider petals. 'Success' is also nearly a semi-star. This plant has such weak stems that they hang vertically. Semi-star shaped Semi-star shaped flowers usually have pointed petals, but the petals are wide enough to overlap for up to half of their free lengths. Adenium "arabicum" Adenium "obesum " 'Black Ruby' Adenium "obesum " 'Daeng Siam' The flowers of the "obesum"-crispum hybrid 'Classical' are a bit pointy. The petal overlap is rather good, but the flower outline is not round. Most Adenium socotranum have semi-star shaped flowers. There is little petal overlap, but the tips are round. 'Rainbow' is an "obesum"-swazicum hybrid. The wide petals overlap well, but the pointed petals give it a semi-star shape. Round Round flowers have considerable petal overlap, and usually rounded petal tips. Adenium "arabicum " 'Hansoti Dwarf' Adenium "obesum " 'Amiability' 'Impressive #1' 'Pink Elegance', an "obesum"-swazicum hybrid, backcrossed to "obesum ". It's more difficult to describe the shape of Adenium "obesum" 'White Wave' because of the ruffled petals. It might be circular if the flower were flat. 'White Jade Peony', an "obesum"-swazicum hybrid with very flat petals. The tips are somewhat pointy, but the flower does not look semi-star shaped. Circular Flowers Circular flowers have rounded petal tips and very wide petals that overlap for well over half their lengths and nearly fill the circle they circumscribe. Perhaps there are not yet any truly circular adenium flowers, but the following cultivars at least come close. Adenium "arabicum " 'Yemeni Giant' has nearly circular flowers. This is excellent for a first-generation selection from a wild plant. Adenium boehmianum tends to have circular flowers. 'Evelyn Marie', a complex "obesum"-swazicum hybrid. Adenium "obesum " 'Home Run' 'Taiwan Beauty' (aka 'Beauty of Taiwan') is a hybrid of "obesum " with either swazicum or boehmianum . The ruffled petals of this Adenium "obesum " 'MAD 335' create an almost circular outline. Unfortunately, this blond color is unstable. A few of the normally purplish flowers bleach to this shade when they're a week old. Footnotes

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

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

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

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

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 boehmianum Schinz Adenium boehmianum is closely related related to A . swazicum , and occurs on the other side of southern Africa in Namibia and southern Angola. It is an erect arborescent shrub, usually with barely succulent stems and only modestly swollen roots. In the northern end of its range it develops thick conical trunks. The leaves are the second largest in the genus. The flowers have broad petals that usually overlap, and are borne from late summer into early winter. This species shares a diagnostic trait with A. swazicum : petals are of uniform pink with no fading toward the dark throat, and very short anther appendages. A. boehmianum is uncommon in cultivation. A. boehmianum at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The plant is about six feet tall. A. boehmianum flowers are usually circular in outline. Notice that the petal color does not fade toward the throat. Flowers and foliage of A. boehmianum . Flowers and foliage of A. boehmianum . Right: An example of pink flowers of A. boehmianum. Photo: Cheryl Acford Adenium boehmianum in the Wild Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. This one has a well developed conical trunk. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Robert H. Webb Adenium boehmianum at Ojihipa, Namibia (Angolan border on the Kunene River). Photo: Ernst Van Jaarsveld. Flowers of Adenium boehmianum in Namibia on the Kunene River near Epupa Falls. Photo: Ernst Van Jaarsveld. Adenium boehmianum in northern Namibia, exhibiting a splendid succulent trunk. Photo: Ernst Van Jaarsveld. Adenium boehmianum near Okabadjia, Namibia. Photo: John Lavranos. Back to Top Footnotes