Adenium swazicum (Desert Rose)

Adenium swazicum pink flower on green plant in black nursery pot close up

Adenium swazicum pink flower with green leaves rooted in a plastic container

Botanical name: Adenium swazicum

Common name: Desert Rose

Family: Apocynaceae

Origin: Arabia

USDA Zone: 9-10

Plant form: Small; plant with caudex; suitable for bonsai

Mature height: 2-5 ft

Sun exposure: Full sun or bright light indoor

Cold tolerance: Frost sensitive. Protect from freezing.

Watering: Moderate

Flower color: Pink

Suitable for: Outdoors in the suitable USDA zone; small gardens, containers, and indoor growing

Foliage: Deciduous

Irritating or toxic: Irritating

Growing to a height of about 4-5ft, this succulent plant is a member of the same family as Plumeria. Their swollen, often twisted trunks, are pale gray. The leaves are glossy and club-shaped. The flowers appear almost continuously, are trumpet-shaped, and range from white and bright pink to crimson red. They emit a highly toxic sap, which in some places is used as a poison for arrows. Adeniums are not generally grown in moist tropical gardens but are often seen as a decorative pot plants; they may also be used in rock gardens. They need full sun and a well-drained potting mixture. Exotic multi-color varieties can be grafted on the same plant. See other exotic species of Adenium, photo gallery of exotic varieties and Thai Adeniums - milti-colored, multi-grafted.

See article about Adenium.