This is an exquisite and extraordinary representative of the succulent family. Adenium Obesum hails from the driest places on the planet, has the Latin name Adenium Obesum. His usual climatic conditions are warm winters, minimal rainfall and a lot of sun.
What does adenium Obesum look like, to which family it belongs
Externally, the plant is a tree or shrub with a dense and fleshy trunk. The flower grows extremely slowly and in nature can reach no more than 2 meters in height, and at home - no more than 1 meter. Fat Adenium, or Obesum, belongs to the Kutra family, the genus Shrub.
Fat representative of the species
The stem of the shrub is painted in gray or brown. The base is more expanded than the tip. Adenium in nature can reach 1 meter in diameter. The shape of the trunk directly depends on the conditions of growth and care. Leaf plates are dense and resemble pieces of skin to the touch. Their size varies from 5 to 15 cm. Inflorescences on the adenium appear only in the summer. Flowers consist of petals, the color of which can be from red to white.
Common varieties
For many years, the plant has been an exquisite and welcome guest in any home. A variety of varieties allows you to choose the right kind. This type of succulents has a lot of beautiful additional names: Adenium Desert Rose, Imperial Lily, Mini Adenium.
Mini adenium
Variety Adenium Arabicum (Adenium Arabicum) has a thick kaudeks almost black. This type of adenium is White Elephant. The leaves of the species are decorated with white spots and have a leathery structure.
Grade Arabicum
Adenium Crispum is one of the most prominent representatives of the Somali subspecies. The thick caudex of the plant is underground and resembles an ordinary turnip. The wavy narrow leaves are decorated with white veins. Due to its extremely slow growth, it is often grown in apartments.
Crispum Flowers
Adenium white got its name thanks to beautiful inflorescences. It also has the name terry adenium. It is extremely rare to find pink flowers.
An unusual representative of the species is Adenium mix. The plant was bred by experienced breeders. Depending on the growing conditions and climatic characteristics, inflorescences can acquire almost any shade.
Amber Cloud Adenium is another bright representative of the obese look. Two-color inflorescences have attracted experienced florists of the world for many years.
Fat Adenium
The world's largest nursery of Taiwanese succulents is Adenium Rose Chen. In Russia, Adenium Sib or Adenium Sibir is considered a recognized and verified Internet resource.
Before choosing a plant, you need to understand what is the difference between adenium Arabicum and Obesum:
| Characteristic | Adenium Obesum | Adenium arabicum |
| Place of growth | Territory from Saudi Arabia to Senegal | West Saudi Arabia and Yemen |
| Appearance | The fleshy trunk is in the form of a bottle, grayish-brown in color with many shoots on top. | Thick low caudex of dark brown color with either purple or pink tint. |
| Growth rate | Very slow | Average |
| When blooms for the first time | In 1.5 years | In 3-4 years |
Briefly about the history of the appearance
The plant was first discovered by a European researcher in Aden. Scientists were literally fascinated by the unusual appearance of the flower. Later, the species was discovered on the Arabian Peninsula, in Central Africa.
Home care for the flower Adenium Obesum
Proper care of the succulent involves a number of necessary procedures. Maintaining the required temperature and light level are the main components of a healthy and beautiful plant.
Note! Plant juice is poisonous, therefore, when working with it, it is very important to observe safety measures.
Temperature
The optimum temperature regime for this species is + 25 ... +30 degrees in the summer and + 10 ... +15 in the winter. At lower temperatures in winter, there is a danger of freezing of the root system and its death. On hot days for a comfortable growth, it is best to arrange adenium ventilation.
Lighting
The place for the plant should be as light as possible. Under favorable weather conditions, in summer you can put a flower in the fresh air. The plant is perfect for growing in flower greenhouses and conservatories.
Important! Lack of light is detrimental to plant health.
At low temperatures, adenium must be placed on the sunniest window sill. With a short daylight, it is advisable to install additional illumination.
Watering
Humidification occurs as for a cactus. The earthen lump is abundantly wetted and then dried.
Remember! Overfilling extremely negatively affects the health of the adenium and can lead to decay of the root system, damage to the caodex.
It is also impossible to dry the soil too much, this will lead to a halt in the growth of the tree.
Spraying
The spraying process is allowed to be carried out only during the growing season. When sprinkling, moisture should not be allowed on the inflorescences.
Humidity
At the time of active growth, it is necessary to create an increased level of humidity in the room where adenium grows.
Priming
The optimal substrate for the plant is loose and porous, which will not retain excess moisture in it. The substrate for adenium should consist of sheet earth, expanded clay, perlite and coconut fiber.
Advice! Florists recommend adding chopped charcoal to the ground.
Top dressing
An adult bush has a positive attitude to almost any fertilizer. The main thing is that nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are present in equal proportions.
On a note! It is better to use fertilizers at the beginning of the season.
Features of winter care, rest period
The flower is extremely negative about any low temperatures. In winter, adenium is in a resting phase. The green mass falls off and the plant no longer needs moisture.
Growing and caring in the winter includes several mandatory rules:
- The temperature of the house should be at least +10 degrees.
- Watering is carried out only at elevated temperatures and not more than once a month.
- At the first sign of awakening, the tree must be moved to the most lit place.
- Humidification of the soil is allowed only 20-30 days after waking up.
Attention! Do not miss the end time of the rest period. The first sign is the appearance of the kidneys.
When and how it blooms
Flowers on the plant are formed from spring to fall. When creating optimal conditions, you can achieve year-round flowering.
On a note! At home, a well-developed plant blooms twice: from April to July and from September to October.
Types of flowers
The pharynx has a lighter shade than the inflorescence itself. Flowers can be painted in white, red, pink, black. They are simple or terry.
Flower shapes
The size of flowers, as a rule, does not exceed 7 cm. Inflorescences can have smooth or wavy edges, terry or semi-double structure. Most often, flowers on the adenium are five-petalled. It is extremely rare to find exceptions. In some plants, they can consist of seven petals.
Flowering period
For each variety, the flowering period may be different. Some species delight with flowers already in the 2nd year, while others - only in the 4th. Most often, the plant begins to bloom in early spring or autumn. The flowering period under favorable conditions can last from 30 to 45 days.
On a note! A young plant blooms much more often than an adult.
Changes in flowering care
In the period of the formation of flowers, in no case should one forget about watering and good lighting. When the first buds appear, it is necessary to slightly increase the watering rate. Abrupt changes in the care of the adenium during the flowering period will lead to dropping buds and, as a result, to the absence of flowers on the plant.
Pruning
In spring, you can trim the plant. The procedure is performed only when absolutely necessary. Most often it is used to form a flower and increase decorativeness. To create a beautiful tree, side branches are shortened by almost 1/3. Cardinal pruning contributes to the formation of a bushy form of adenium.
How Adenium Obesum propagates
Reproduction of perennials can be carried out in different ways: seeds, cuttings, layering or grafting. The description of the process will differ depending on the method selected.
Seed germination
Adenium seeds can be purchased at almost any specialized store.
On a note! When buying, you must pay attention to the expiration date of planting material. Fresh seeds, as a rule, have 100% germination.
Seed propagation method
Procedure:
- Before planting, the seed material is soaked for 3-4 hours in warm water. To accelerate the process, a growth stimulator can be added to the solution.
- Germinate the seed in a pre-prepared substrate. To do this, mix in equal parts: vermiculite, river sand, chopped charcoal.
- Sowing is performed in a superficial way.
- Tanks with plantings are placed in greenhouse conditions and covered with any transparent material.
For germination, the temperature must be at least +35 degrees. The first sprouts should appear in about 7-10 days.
For information! If you do not observe the temperature regime, then the time will increase significantly.
For young shoots, the daylight should be at least 12 hours. If necessary, use additional lighting. It is important to maintain humidity levels and regularly ventilate the room.
Rooting cuttings
Cuttings are carried out during the spring or in the summer.
On a note! Propagation by cuttings is not the most productive way of breeding a plant. In the process of transplanting, planting material often rots.
Adenium cuttings
Step-by-step instruction for cutting:
- Trim cuttings at least 15 cm.
- Before planting, treat the seedlings with charcoal.
- As a soil mix perlite, expanded clay, sand and peat.
- To prevent rotting of cuttings around the planting, pour sand and coal.
When rooting, waterlogging should not be allowed. The landing site must be well lit and maintain a temperature of at least +30 degrees. The rooting process takes place within 30-45 days.
For information! From the method of growing adenium, its individual qualities depend. For example, succulents grown from cuttings will not have a thickening on the stem.
Air lay
This method can be used for a very short period of time - in late spring and early summer.
Procedure:
- For propagation by layering, choose a strong and thick twig.
- On it, with a sharp object, a shallow incision is made in a circle.
- The wound is treated with any stimulant and wrapped with moss.
For the formation of roots, the cut site must be constantly moistened. When the roots of the layering can be cut and transplanted to a permanent place.
Other options
Vaccination can be performed not only on the adenium, but also on the oleander.
Step-by-step instruction:
- On the mother plant, two shallow cuts are made.
- A kidney or seed is inserted into them.
- The grafted material must be carefully fixed and the cuts connected to each other.
- For a positive result, it is important to maintain an elevated air temperature and a high level of humidity.
If the grafting procedure was performed correctly, then the roots will appear in 30-35 days.
Transfer
Adenium is transplanted in the spring. Young specimens need to be transplanted annually. Adult flower - only as needed.
The pot should be slightly larger than the root system of the flower. For succulents, flat and wide containers are used. In the absence of a suitable shape, you can use an ordinary flower pot half-filled with expanded clay and only after that with nutritious soil.
Possible problems in growing and disease
Most often, the plant has root rot or viral diseases. In the early stages of the onset of the disease, timely treatment with a soap solution will help. With severe damage, pesticides or fungicides are used. Some conditions are associated with errors during cultivation.
Plant drops buds and leaves
With a sharp change in temperature in the room or strong drafts, adenium drastically drops vegetation. In autumn, this is a natural process before the dormant period.
Leaves turn pale
The appearance of white spots on the adenium is characteristic at an increased pH in the soil. Alkalization of the soil occurs with a lack of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc. To save the situation will help the introduction of the necessary trace elements into the soil.
External signs of the disease
The tips dry on the leaves
With a lack of magnesium, the edges of the leaves of the succulent die off and bend down. Usually visible signs appear even with a critical indicator of a trace element. Urgent watering with liquid fertilizers containing magnesium will help save the plant.
Magnesium deficiency
Lower leaves fall off
Most often, the dropping of the lower leaves is due to a lack of trace elements. With a lack of nitrogen, the leaf plates first turn yellow, and then completely fall off. Timely dressing with the necessary element will save the situation.
Pests
The species is most resistant to the attack of all kinds of insects. It is extremely rare for mites, mealybugs or scale insects to settle on the plant. Regular spraying with a normal soap solution will help protect the adenium.
Other problems
Failure to comply with the conditions may lead to the following problems:
- Change caudex. Thinning of the root processes, and subsequently, the cessation of growth occurs due to a sharp decrease in temperature, inaccessibility of sunlight and excessive moisture.
- Stunted growth. This also happens due to low temperatures or a lack of essential trace elements.
- Flowering problems. The main reason is the lack of light and heat.
Adenium Obesum
In caring for this exotic flower, one should not forget for a second that it is primarily succulent, and has a mandatory rest period. You can get a healthy and beautiful plant only by approximating the conditions of its growth to natural ones. Compliance with all the rules of care will allow you to grow this unusual "African rose" even in an ordinary apartment.
