Adenium Obesum

Adenium obesum is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that is native to the Sahel regions, south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), and tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia. Common names include Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, impala lily and desert rose.

The desert rose is a slow-growing plant, only growing about 12 inches per year. Desert rose is often used as a bonsai plant thanks to its thick succulent trunk, thin and delicate leaves, and luscious, deep pink trumpeting flowers.

The desert rose plant is the only Adenium extensively hybridized to obtain different flower colors. Desert rose is an indoor or outdoor plant depending on your location. In many tropical and warmer climates (USDA zones 11 and 12), it’s a widely-used ornamental outdoor plant, and in cooler zones, it is grown indoors. It’s best planted in the spring, and it will die if exposed to frost and freezing temperatures. A member of the dogbane family, the sap of the desert rose plant is toxic to people and pets.