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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'

Publications Taxonomy article Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance Dimmitt, Joseph, & Palzkill 2009 Adenium Taxonomy and Nomenclature Dimmitt & Edwards 2021 Adenium Taxonomia y Nomenclatur a Translated by Osmar Barboza (unpublished) Adeniums (Desert Rose) in Cultivation Dimmitt 2022 Adenium Culture in Hot, Arid Climates Characteristics of Adenium Species & Hybrids

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

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.

Other Taxa & Unknowns "somalense nova" "Thai Socotranum" Sahel Group Lake Eyasi mystery som. - crisp. intergrade A. coetanum? The Sahel Group Adeniums in the Sahel west of Ethiopia are of unknown identity. There are a few herbarium specimens, but no live plants in cultivation that are available for study. In photos the plants look much like A. somalense , but the leaves and flowers look more like those of A. "obesum ". If anyone has more photos or live plants from the Sahel (any country east of Ethiopia), please contact me . Above: Plants of Adenium sp. near Tintane (west of Nema), in southeast Mauritania; bush grassland. Plants from this region have been described as A. honghel ; there are no specimens available for study. Photos: Helene Jousse (via Jan Schlogl) Above: Plants and flowers of Adenium sp. near Tintane (west of Nema), in southeast Mauritania; bush grassland. Plants from this region have been described as A. honghel ; there are no specimens available for study. Photos: Helene Jousse (via Jan Schlogl) Above: Two plants of an Adenium sp. near Bénoué National Park, northern Cameroon. Plants west of here have been described as A. honghel ; plants to the east have been described as A. speciosum . There are no specimens available for study. Photos: Joel Peterson Back to Top Adenium speciosum? Left two: Plant and flowers of an adenium near Kauda, South Kordofan, Sudan. It looks similar to A. somalense in Ethiopia and Kenya, but plants from this region have been described as Adenium speciosum . Click to enlarge. Photos: submitted by Ricardo Denis. Adenium honghel? Left two: Adeniums near Bakel, Senegal. Right two: Adenium near Kedougou, Senegal; this is a mesic habitat for adeniums. Plants from this region have been described as Adenium honghel . The flowers at first appear to have dark throats, but they actually have pink throats overlain with very thick nectar guides. Click to enlarge. Photos: submitted by Ricardo Denis. Right two: Adenium near Yankari, Alkaleri, NG-BA, Nigeria. Plants from this region have been described as Adenium honghel . This plants's flowers look much like those above from Senegal. Again, the dark-appearing throats are caused by thick nectar guides. Photos submitted by Ricardo Denis. Adenium "somalense nova" This taxon was discovered in the mid 1990s in Tanzania, and is in the trade as Adenium "somalense nova". The name is enclosed in double quotation marks to indicate that it is not validly published. In nature the caudex is globular and buried underground, with erect, barely succulent stems to about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall. In cultivation seedlings develop a short-conical caudex that is partially exposed. The plants grow fairly rapidly and make a large caudex compared to the size of the plant in a few years. The small flowers start appearing sparsely at the end of the growing season in fall, followed by a more profuse bloom through the winter while the plants are leafless. They are pink to red at the edges, fading to a white throat with prominent nectar guides. The anther appendages protrude slightly beyond the tube. Another population that looks very much like this taxon has been found more than 100 km away. Adenium "somalense nova" collected in Tanzania. The caudexes were underground. Photo: Andre Williams Six-year-old seedling of Adenium "somalense nova" in a 16-inch pot beginning to flower at the end of the growing season. Six-year-old seedling of Adenium "somalense nova" in a 16-inch pot flowering during winter dormancy. Left and Right: Flowers of Adenium "somalense nova" . This group of Adenium "somalense nova" were grown by Hiren Vaghela. This distinct strain has very narrow leaves. Click to enlarge. Photos: Hiren Vaghela. Adenium "somalense nova" in the Wild Above: Adenium "somalense nova" east of Usambara Mountains south of Same, Tanzania. Right: Same plant with caudex excavated. This is a small plant. Photos: Chuck Hanson Back to Top Adenium "Thai socotranum" Adenium "Thai socotranum", also called "Thai soco", are not related to A. socotranum. They are in fact dwarf forms of A. "arabicum" bred in Asia. They are extremely popular, and there are many named varieties. See more examples in the Thai socos section in the A. "arabicum" page "Thai Socotranum" Photo: John Franklin Roosevelt Back to Top A. "obesum" near Lake Eyasi, Tanzania Anomalous adenium plants near Lake Eyasi, Arusha, Tanzania. This is in the geographic range of A. "obesum ", but the plants are unusually caudiciform. More important, the flowers are atypical of either species, but closely match those of A. swazicum or boehmianum hundreds of miles to the south. There is a population of these anomalous white-flowered, dark-throated adeniums growing on a rocky granite hill above a hot spring. Photos: David Bygott. NOTE: There are surely many other anomalous adenium populations in the wild. If you know of any, please contribute photos and other information to further our knowledge of these plants. Back to Top Right: ...and a gigantic specimen in the same locality. Click to enlarge. Photo: Chris Schmeling via David Bygott A. somalense-crispum intergrade? Adenium near Bulo Burri (Bulobarde), Somalia, between the ranges of somalense and crispum. The leaves appear to be linear and crisped like crispum, but this is a tree like somalense. What is it? These two taxa hybridize readily in cultivation. Photo: John Lavranos. Adenium coetanum ? An Adenium in the Dirashe District of southwestern Ethiopia, near the borders with South Sudan and Kenya. The plant is the size of A. somalense , and it occurs within the range of that species. But the leaves look like those of "obesum ", which begins in southern Kenya. The flowers appear to have dark throats,which, if true, is not characteristic of East African adeniums. This plant is not far from an herbarium specimen labeled A. coetanum . This plant also resembles the old cultivar 'Singapore ', which has been sold as A. coetanum . DNA analysis indicates that 'Singapore ' is an intergrade between A. "obesum " and A. somalense (Dimmitt and Edwards 2021 ). Photos: (contributed by Ricardo Denis). Left: This photo was taken in Ethiopia, where adeniums "should be" A. somalense . But the foliage and flower look like those of A. "obesum ". Perhaps this is what has been described as A. coetanum . Photo: Jim & Roxie Esterle Back to Top Footnotes

Adenium socotranum Vierh. Adenium socotranum is endemic to the island of Socotra. It is by far the largest species, reaching a height of 15 feet (4.6 m) with a cylindrical trunk up to 8 feet (2.5 m) in diameter at the base. It has a very short growing season. Plants rarely leaf out before mid summer, and stem growth occurs in a single spurt that lasts for only a few weeks. The pink flowers appear in spring while the plants are leafless. The species is easy to grow, but it is very slow. It's difficult to flower. Desert heat and cool nights both seem to inhibit flowering. Under warm greenhouse conditions flowering seems to be triggered by an irrigation during the spring dry season. Plants grown in Asia labeled "Thai socotranum " and "Thai soco "are in fact dwarf varieties of A. "arabicum ". The Above Two: A flat of 2-year old Adenium socotranum seedlings. Right: The seedlings bare-rooted for planting out. This species has huge variation in seedling vigor, more than any other adenium that I've grown. Adenium socotranum seedlings at six years of age. The ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. Above 3 images: Left: Adenium socotranum flowering for the first time at 10 years age. The plant was beheaded when 7 years old to make it branch. Center: The same plant at 20 years from seed. Right: Its caudex at 23 years old in a 24-inch box. This is the most vigorous soco that I've grown out of about 30. Above 3 images: Flowers of three clones of A. socotranum in cultivation. Back to Top Adenium socotranum in the Wild Few of us mortal humans will live long enough to grow Adenium socotranum to its full potential size. The next best option is to enjoy photos from travelers who have been fortunate to visit Socotra. Enjoy this eye candy, with gratitude to several photographers! Adenium socotranum seedling near Qaysoh. Photo: Dylan Hannon A dark-flowered Adenium socotranum seedling at Wadi Darhu. Photo: Dylan Hannon Adenium socotranum on Homhil Plateau. Photo: Dylan Hannon Adenium socotranum . Photo: John Lavranos. Above Two Images: Flowers of Adenium socotranum . Photos: Greg Corman Three monstrous specimens of Adenium socotranum . Photos: Greg Corman. Back to Top Gallery of photos by Robert H. Webb and Toni Yocum Adeniums are locally abunant on Socotra. Back to Top Gallery of photos by Gaetano Moschetti Back to Top Footnotes

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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!'

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

Species The genus Adenium consists of 11 phenotypically recognizable types in cultivation. There are at least 8 good species in nature, and perhaps several more (see map below). For ease of labeling, this site treats each type as a separate species, and I will use the names that are popular among horticulturists until the taxonomic confusion has been sorted out. Specific epithets (the second word in a binomial [scientific] species name) that have not been validly published and incorrect published names are enclosed in double quotes. (Very important: single quotation marks identify a cultivar name.) The taxonomy page summarizes what is known about adenium species, and the nomenclatural issues page summarizes the problems. See Dimmitt and Edwards 2021 for a detailed analysis. Adenium oleifolium swazicum boehmianum Southern African Clade socotranum dhofarense "arabicum" Arabian Clade multiflorum somalense "obesum" crispum East African Clade Ambiguous Taxa "somalense nova" "Thai socotranum" Sahel Group Lake Eyasi mystery som. - crisp. intergrade Approximate known distributions of Adenium taxa. The map was drawn from a rough sketch by John Lavranos, based on about 120 European herbarium records and his extensive field observations. Anchor 1 * 2021. Dimmitt, Mark A. and Taylor Edwards. Adenium Taxonomy and Nomenclature : Progress Creates More Questions. Cactus and Succulent Journal (U.S.). Vol. 3 no. 4, pp 252-266. Available as a PDF on request to the first author. Footnotes