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

Adenium crispum x "obesum" hybrids This hybrid line was a huge breakthrough in adenium breeding. There were a few such crosses in the early 1990s in California and possibly elsewhere, but even though the F1 plants had the petal markings of crispum, the usually small, twisted flowers didn’t inspire much enthusiasm. In 1999 I sent a cutting of A. crispum to a collector in Taiwan (I later named it ‘Famous Ancestor’ . He propagated it and shared it with other growers. This species is difficult in hot, humid climates. The clone died out within a couple of years, but not before hybrids were made with A. “obesum”. First generation (F 1 ) hybrids inherit from "obesum" vigorous vegetative growth and large, colorful flowers. The crispum parent often contributes a substantial caudex, and quilled flowers with strong nectar guides that extend to the petal tips. Unfortunately, both parents tend to contribute weak stems. Plants of this line are usually slow-growing, taking at least 5 years to develop their character (in Arizona; they grow much faster in more tropical climates). After several generations the Taiwanese breeders had eliminated the quilled petals and created plants with large flat flowers exhibiting bold petal markings. The nectar guides on the petals often morph into bold blotches and stripes. All flowers with such petal markings are descended from A. crispum , and probably from 'Famous Ancestor'. By 2008 there were millions of plants and hundreds of stunning named cultivars all over Asia. The plants in this group are mostly small to medium-sized and slow-growing, with modest caudexes (about 2 feet [61 cm] tall and wide); but some are “obesum” -sized (3 to 4 feet [91-122 cm]). Only the best clones have sturdy stems; most need pruning every few years to maintain a neat form. Superior clones flower profusely throughout the warm season. Both parent species are very cold-sensitive, but many of the complex hybrids (second generation and beyond) are resilient as long as they’re kept dry during winter. Almost all cultivars on the market are grafted. See the superior cultivars page for a big gallery of these hybrids. Adenium ' Harry Potter ' was the first crispum-"obesum " hybrid with fairly flat petals and bold markings. The nectar guides have become blotchy stripes. It was created in Taiwan by C.F. Chang in 2003, only 4 years after the introduction of A. crispum . A first-day flower is at left; a week-old flower at right. A few more early crispum-"obesum " cultivars. Left: Adenium 'City' from Taiwan is an example of a flower with strong contrast between the background and the nectar guides. Below: New and older flowers of 'Star of Taiwan' Below: 'Classical' has bold blotches overlain by even bolder lines. Created by H.C. Chen. Footnotes

Superior Cultivars of Adenium "arabicum x "obesum" 'Arabian Ruby' 'Pink Elephant' 'Bouquet' 'Prolific Behemoth' 'Crimson Tower' Above: The original seedling of 'Arabian Ruby' when it was 8 years old. 'Arabian Ruby' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" primary hybrid. (A. "obesum " 'Black Ruby' x A. "arabicum " [unnamed Shada strain]) Creator: Dimmitt 1995 Plant form: Incredibly vigorous, spreading shrub with gigantic caudex and extremely swollen main stems. Stems become droopy in older specimens, and need occasional major pruning. Evergreen. Tetraploid Flower: Large, round, 97 mm diameter x 36 mm petal width. Petals medium-red, fading to light red toward the throat. Throat white with faint nectar guides. Blooms nearly year-round, but rarely profusely. Notes: This is the first arabicum-obesum hybrid , and is the most vigorous adenium clone that I've ever seen. It is the ancestor of all of my interspecific arabicum hybrids. Plants grow vigorously from cuttings and quickly develop the characteristic huge caudex. Excellent as grafting rootstock. Above: An inflorescence of adenium 'Arabian Ruby', showing the high flower count of at least 12 flowers and buds. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Arabian Ruby', ten years old in a 42-inch pot. Above: A two-year-old cutting of 'Arabian Ruby' in a 14-inch pot. Cuttings are easy to root and grow very fast. They make excellent rootstock for grafting. Right: A 15-year-old cutting of adenium 'Arabian Ruby'in a 42-inch pot. Left: The original seedling of adenium 'Arabian Ruby', eight years old in a 42-inch pot. It's in full bloom for this cultivar. Back to Menu Above: Gene Joseph (Plants for the Southwest Nursery) demonstrates how to move a large adenium 'Arabian Ruby' (on its way from Tucson, Arizona to Singapore). It's a good idea to ask how big a cultivar can grow before you buy it! Above left: Adenium 'Bouquet', the original seedling at 6 years of age in a 14-inch pot. Right: Grafted onto 'Arabian Ruby' rootstock in a 24-inch pot; the scion is about 15 years old. 'Bouquet' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. (A. 'Arabian Ruby' x (A. "arabicum" 'Hansoti Dwarf') Creator: Dimmitt 2002 Plant form: Vigorous, usually upright shrub with modest caudex. Can grow to 4 x 4 feet in 5 years. Evergreen, but has a short winter resting period. Tetraploid Flower: Round, 65 mm diameter x 28 mm petal width. Petals medium red, fading to lighter red at throat. Throat white with prominent nectar guides. Inflorescence is indeterminate, producing up to 38 flowers over 3 to 4 months, with 10 or more flowers open at a time. Blooms profusely 3 to 4 times a year. Notes: Very few adenium clones have indeterminate inflorescences. The trait is very recessive, and only a small percentage of offspring inherit it. Back to Menu Above: Adenium 'Bouquet' is named not only because the inflorescences are indeterminate, but because 10 or more flowers are open at once. Above: 'Bouquet' is very floriferous. 'Crimson Tower' (MAD403) Parentage: Adenium ("obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. ('Arabian Ruby' x (a second generation obesum-arabicum hybrid )) Creator: Dimmitt 2004 Plant form: Vigorous, erect, arborescent shrub with substantial caudex and swollen main stems. Can grow to 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide in 5 years. Evergreen or deciduous if dried out in winter; in either case it has a short winter resting period. Tetraploid. Flower: Round, 85 mm diameter x 31 mm petal width. Petals deep red, with almost no fading toward throat. Throat light yellow with prominent nectar guides. Blooms profusely for 2 to 3 months in spring, rarely at other times. Notes: Left to grow naturally, this clone branches freely and becomes a tall, fairly narrow shrub. It can easily be pruned into a tree that can reach more than 6 feet tall in 10 years. Cuttings are as vigorous and caudiciform as the mother plant; no need to graft. Left: The bright red flower of 'Crimson Tower'. Back to Menu Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Crimson Tower' at 5 years old. It has never been pruned. Left: An 8-year-old cutting of 'Crimson Tower'. The ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. This clone has a naturally arborescent form. It can be pruned to produce a bush. Left: The original seedling of adenium 'Pink Elephant' at 8 years of age. This photo fails to provide scale. See the closeup of the caudex with ruler to see how big it is (6 feet tall in a 16-inch pot. 'Pink Elephant' (MAD923) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. (A. "obesum' 'Red Henny 4n' x 'Prolific Behemoth') Creator: Dimmitt 2012 Plant form: Vigorous, upright shrub with large caudex. Can grow to 5 feet tall by 4 feet wide in 5 years. Evergreen and capable of growing year-round in tropical conditions. Tetraploid. Flower: Large, round, 94 mm diameter x 40 mm petal width. Outer half of petals deep pink to medium-red depending on temperature, fading to pale pink near throat. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Flowers age to pink. Blooms several times a year. Notes: This cultivar roots readily from cuttings and grows fast. Above: Closeup of the caudex of 'Pink Elephant' at 8 years of age. Left: The big flowers of adenium 'Pink Elephant' bloom year-round. Back to Menu 'Prolific Behemoth' (MAD432) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. ('Arabian Ruby' x (a second generation obesum-arabicum hybrid ) Creator: Dimmitt 2004 Plant form: Vigorous, erect, arborescent shrub with substantial caudex and swollen main stems. Can grow to 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide in 5 years. Evergreen or deciduous if dried out in winter; in either case it has a short winter resting period. Tetraploid. Flower: Large, round, 93 mm diameter x 32 mm petal width. Petals uniformly medium-red to bright pink depending on weather, fading somewhat toward the throat. Throat light yellow with prominent nectar guides. Blooms profusely throughout the warm months. The inflorescences are indeterminate with 30+ flowers. Notes: Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Prolific Behemoth' at 16 years of age. It's over 6 feet tall in a 16-inch pot. Above: The seedling of adenium 'Prolific Behemoth' showed promise when it was 4 years old. Above: Adenium 'Prolific Behemoth' is another rare clone with indeterminate inflorescences. They produce more than 30 flowers over a span of 2 to 3 months. Back to Menu

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 A. coetanum? 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 Lavranos' 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

Adenium Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance, covers the cultivation and care of Adeniums, as well as their unique and attractive characteristics.The book showcases the beauty and ornamental value of Adeniums, and provides detailed information for both hobbyists and professional growers. The book is out of print, but you can download a 45 megabyte PDF; use the button below. Meet the Authors Corrections and Clarificatons Historic Letters Download PDF of Book Meet the Authors Authors from left to right: Dave Palzkill, Gene Joseph and Mark Dimmitt Mark A. Dimmitt has a Ph.D. in biology (zoology-herpetology) from the University of California at Riverside. He is retired from a 40-year career as a botanist/ecologist, mostly at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. His second career is collecting and hybridizing plants, first Trichocereus (cacti) and Tillandsia (bromeliads). Since the late 1970s his main focus has been on breeding Adenium s. David A. Palzkill has a Ph.D. in Horticulture and Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he studied calcium-related problems of vegetable crops. Following fourteen years on the faculty of the University of Arizona, he consulted on alternative crops for dry regions and grew adeniums commercially for about 20 years. Gene E. Joseph studied Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He was plant propagator at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum where he focused his interest in desert flora. He has run Plants for the Southwest, a desert plant nursery in Tucson, since 1986 Corrections & Clarifications Page 13, Figure 9: Photo was taken near Benoue National Park in northern Cameroon, not in Mauritania as stated in the book. Page 45, under Flowers header: The first sentence should read "The small flowers (Figure 105) are produced abundantly for about two months during late winter and early spring,... " Page 47, Figure 108: Pho to: Boris Vrskovy (Puk, with an accent on the y), not P. Mukundan. Page 65, Figure 44: The flower is 'Yolk Fragrance', purchased in Taiwan and photographed by Mark Dimmitt. Here is a picture of 'Arctic Snow', by David Clulow. Page 70, Figures 60 and 61: Photos are by David Clulow, not Ashish Hansoti as stated. Page 78, Figure 91: It's 'Harry Potter'; photo: Kenneth Wall. Page 96, Origin of 'Singapore': I rediscovered a lost note from Albert Chan and a letter from Frank Horwood dated 1980. Professor Holttum told Horwood that Adenium 'Singapore' was introduced to horticulture in Singapore in 1933, 50 years earlier than I had thought. (Richard Eric Holttum was Director of the Singapore Botanical Garden from 1926 to 1949, and later was on the staff of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.) Chan's and Horwood's letters are archived here . Page 106, third paragraph: In fact, A. swazicum and A. oleifolium do experience freezing temperatures. Adenium oleifolium remains a short shrub partly because it is periodically frozen to the ground. Page 127, Figure 38: Photo: P. Mukundan, not Nathan Wong. Page 134: The Adenium "arabicum" at the bottom of the page is by Godong Ijo Nursery, not David Clulow. Clarifications Page 32: As stated, A. "arabicum" does indeed tend to grow short and squat at low, dry elevations and high, cold ones, and is often arborescent in wetter habitats. However, growth form is not only environmentally controlled; there is also a strong genetic influence. In cultivation some seedlings become shrubs with squat caudexes, while others grown in the same conditions become trees with tall, conical trunks. Page 47: The range of the unnamed Omani Adenium (A. dhofarense as of 2015) extends into eastern Yemen, near Hvai (Boris Vrskovy pers. comm.). The plants in Figures 108 and 109 are in fact from this location in Yemen, not in Oman as the caption states. The photos are also by Boris. Page 54: An adenium registry should go online soon. Stay tuned. (It never happened as of 2023) Species and Hybrid chapters . Flower shapes. Click here for an image gallery of flower shapes . Hybrid Chapter, page 70: After some discussion with Thai growers, it is apparent that most of their "arabicum" cultivars are in fact not cultivars. That is, their named plants such as 'Golden Crown', 'Petch Ban Na', Ra Chi Nee Pan Dok', etc. will not breed true either from seed or asexual means. This is because the names refer to particular growth forms achieved by careful pruning and training of the plants from a very small size. It is still unclear whether there is a formal nomenclatural term for this kind of plant. But they should not be called cultivars, and their names should not be enclosed in single quotes. Page 129, Table 2: When considering whether to water an adenium, it is important to know whether the plant is active or dormant. Click here for a gallery illustrating the terms dormant, active, and growing . Historic Letters

Discription: Strawberry Sunday MAD-668 Parentage: (either general, e.g., complex [or primary] obesum-crispum hybrid, or exact lineage, e.g., 'Arabian Ruby' x 'Crimson Tower') Creator: (incl. country of origin, company/nursery, year created or published, ) Plant form: (mature size & shape, caudex form [if grown on own roots], leaf shape & color if distinctive, deciduous/evergreen, ??? ) Flower: (incl. blooming season, shape, size, flower count, +?) Notes: (Misc. info, e.g., vigor, needs pruning, rot-prone, hardiness, ???) For consistency, the "gallery" page should be a grid of photos with the cv. name. The photo should be of a flower if that's the main trait of the cv.; or of a plant if that's what the cv. is grown for (e.g., Thai socos). Each cv. page should have at least 2 photos: whole plant and flower closeup; plus leaf if it's distinctive. And of course the list of fields above. Discription:

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

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