Adenium (from lat. Adenium) or Imperial lily - succulent plantbelonging to the Kutrovye family. One genus includes 7 species. In nature, it can be found in Central and South Africa.
When growing adenium at home, they form a bonsai, since the trunk of the plant is thick, and the tree itself does not exceed 30 cm. It blooms beautifully with white or raspberry flowers. Flowering is frequent and abundant. Since adenium looks like a rose, the people came up with the name "Desert Rose".
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Types of adenium
The species diversity of adeniums is quite large. Consider the types of desert rose.
Adenium obesum (Adenium obesum)
Obesum is also called Adenium obese or fat. The species includes low trees or shrubs of the Kutrovye family. It is noteworthy that the lower part of the trunk has an interesting thickening. The species gained popularity due to its flowering. When grown indoors, it grows no more than 0.5 m in height. It's easy to take care of him.
Somali adenium (Adenium somalense)
Under natural growing conditions, it reaches 5 m in height, the trunk at the base cannot be hugged, since its diameter is 1 m. Leaves with a glossy sheen are narrow, 15 cm long.
Varietal representatives are small in size and are successfully grown by flower growers.
Adenium arabicum (Adenium arabicum)
In nature, it can be found along the southern and western edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Since the exotic Arabian adenium comes from arid regions, the trunk has a wide above-ground caudex, 1 m in diameter. A good view for growing bonsai.
Adenium socotranum (Adenium socotranum)
The highest view of all presented. The trunk reaches 4.5 m, the diameter at the base approaches 2.5 m.
Adenium socotranum - miniature baobab. Some trees have frilly flat trunks that create a fantastic atmosphere with their appearance.
When grown at home, the tree does not shed variegated leaves for the winter. Winter maintenance is desirable for succulents. When the room temperature drops, reduce watering.
Adenium boehmianum (Adenium boehmiaum)
The most large-flowered species. Huge flowers, pink shades, reach 7 cm in diameter. The leaves are large, pubescent on both sides. They are warm and velvety to the touch.
Adenium swazicum (Adenium swazicum)
Swaziland adenium is characterized by slow growth. It is impossible to meet specimens in which the trunk is higher than 30 cm. Sheet platinum medium, pubescent. The diameter of the flowers is 5 cm. Flowering occurs in mid-summer. It causes difficulties for flower growers, if he does not like the conditions - the tree stops growing, enters into some kind of stagnation.
Adenium multiflorum (Adenium multiflorum)
Famous for its lush blooms. The colors are attractive and bright enough. A wide red border runs along the edge of the petals. Growing is not difficult.
Growing adenium from seeds
Consider the example of growing the charming variety "Dorset Horn". As a result of crossing two varieties, the Dorset Horn was obtained. It is named after the sheep of the same breed.
Decorative variety has its own calling card: bizarre shape - twisted leaves, similar to screw horns and reproduces mainly by seeds. Good germination is observed only in freshly harvested seeds.
Since the hybrid rarely produces ovaries, it is very difficult to collect seeds, therefore, their price is high.
But if you managed to buy seeds of this variety, you need to sow them correctly in order to avoid default.
Sowing seeds: step by step instructions
- Pre-sowing treatment of seeds consists in soaking them in warm water. Attention! The water temperature should be constantly warm. If it cools down, there will be no point in the procedure!
- Sowing should be carried out in light soil with good aeration. The soil should consist of 50% purchased soil, 50% perlite. When buying a mixture, it is important to watch that it consists not only of high-moor peat, otherwise the seeds will turn sour
- It is recommended to add 5% charcoal to the prepared nutrient mixture with a neutral reaction.
- At the bottom of the pot for sowing, it is necessary to lay a drainage layer: expanded clay, fill with a mixture and put seeds. After that, they are covered with earth
- Now the soil is moistened from a spray bottle, placed in a bag or covered with a film, the names of the varieties are signed and sent to a warm place for germination.
From time to time, the mini-greenhouse needs to be ventilated, removing condensate.
The first shoots will appear in a month. Seedlings should be gradually accustomed to room temperature. To do this, you need to open the greenhouse for several hours every day. When the seedlings decently grow up, they need to be transplanted into a new one.

Reproduction by cuttings
For rooting to be successful, it is important to choose and cut the cuttings correctly. The diameter of the fleshy stem should be 1 cm, and the length of the handle should be 15 centimeters. Before the procedure, the plant is watered abundantly so that there is turgor.
After preparing the planting material, the cut is treated with a growth stimulator, dried for a week at room temperature.
Plant cuttings in perlite or ready-made soil containing peat. The substrate must be moist.
After about a month, the first roots can be observed.
A Sabinia star grown from cuttings will not have a caudex. However, this method makes it possible to experiment and create a miracle adenium, in which the trunk of the boudin is woven into a pigtail.
How to weave a pigtail?
The uniqueness of adenium lies in the fact that it is a fertile material for creating unique masterpieces, which will certainly become an interior decoration.
If you had to root a lot of cuttings and there are not enough containers, you can plant them in 3 pieces. in one pot and braid the stems in the form of a pigtail. Such a composition will save space and will delight the eye.
Step-by-step instructions for weaving braids
- It is necessary to cut 3 cuttings with a length of at least 20 cm, so that later they can be woven
- After the sections have dried a little, you will need to plant the cuttings in one shallow pot and tie them with adhesive tape
- A little trick: in order to easily bend the stems, it is necessary not to water the mother plant for a week before cutting the cuttings.
- After the pigtail is ready, you will need to tie the stems together again and put them on rooting
Some flower growers practice propagation by lateral layering. Vaccination gives a more stable copy, less prone to disease.

Landing and care at home
In order for the plant to show itself in all its glory, it must be properly cared for. It is important to know the features of care. If you do not comply with the growing conditions, there will be a deviation in the development of species. In this case, it will not work to grow a flower, the adenium bush may even die.
The choice of soil for planting
The soil for planting can be prepared independently. For growing succulents, a mixture of:
- sod land - 30%
- peat - 50%
- the composition should include coconut fiber - 20%
It is important that the soil is loose, air and moisture permeable. There is another cooking option. It includes river sand, ready-made substrate and perlite, in a ratio of 1:3:1. For planting, ready-made soil mixtures are suitable, which you need to choose in accordance with the manufacturer's rating.
Temperature regime
The optimum temperature is +25°C. Keeping at elevated temperatures will inhibit the growth of the succulent.
If for a long time the plant will be in a room with a temperature of + 10 ° C, it will go into a dormant period. At this time, you can not overmoisten the earthen lump.
Air humidity
High humidity is necessary for adenium during the period of active growth. Low humidity will reduce flowering.
If the plant is at rest, it is necessary to ensure that he is kept in a room with low humidity.
Light level
The plant needs diffused lighting. It is advisable to put a pot with a tropical native in a bright place, for example, keep it on an eastern windowsill. If the flower pot is near the south window, it is recommended to shade from the scorching sun in the midday heat. Adenium does not like drafts, it can drop buds.
With a lack of light, an exotic flower turns in one direction. In order for the adenium to take its original position, it is necessary to turn it in the other direction, right by 180 °.
Watering
During the growing season, the plant should be watered abundantly, especially on hot days. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings to prevent swamps.
Watering is best done in the morning. It is necessary to wait until the excess water drains into the pan and drain it.
Adult adenium needs daily watering, he needs enough moisture.
When kept at a temperature of + 10 ° degrees, it is recommended to wait for the soil to dry out before carrying out the next watering. If kept at a temperature of +5°C, the earth ball must be dry!
Fertilization
Despite the unpretentiousness of the Imperial Lily, the plant still needs to be fed. The lack of potassium prevents them from blooming. Receiving mineral fertilizers, adeniums bloom better. And to build green mass, they need a lot of nitrogen.
When supplements are needed:
- when half of the drainage material is present in the soil mixture
- a lot of sand in the ground
- plants grow in soil with a low nitrogen content
If adenium does not grow well, often gets sick, has not reached the age of one, it is not worth feeding.

Crown and caudex formation
At the age of 5, natural branching can be observed. To increase branching, it is necessary to pinch the apical bud.
You need to pinch during the growing season, if you pinch at a time when the plant is in a period of stagnation, only 1 kidney will wake up.
Pruning is required if:
- no flowering
- in order to form a certain shape of the crown
- you need to prune if the plant has gone in breadth
During anti-aging pruning, old stems without leaves are removed. Usually this pruning coincides with the transplant.
In addition, representatives of the tropics build up a powerful root system, which from time to time has to be shortened.
How to properly trim?
- Pruning is carried out in early April. It is desirable to maintain the temperature in the room at +25°C. Before the procedure, you will need to spill an earthen lump with warm water
- Do not cut the trunk very low, the cut should be 1 cm from the caudex
- Root pruning is carried out during transplantation. It is necessary to carefully cut the roots at the level of the caudex
You should be aware that after pruning, the poisonous juice of the plant will be released. After a few days, the secretion of juice will stop.
Sometimes after the procedure, many dormant kidneys wake up. The stems are too thin and elongated. To ensure the plant develops normally, some of the shoots will have to be removed.

Diseases and pests
In adenium, rotting of the caudex can occur. And also the plant is prone to bacterial burn.
Rotting caudex
The disease is insidious in that for a long time it does not make itself felt in any way. Caudex can rot if watered excessively, if the pot with the plant is in a cool room for a long time. with a sharp drop in temperature, trunk rot is also observed. When the disease leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the stem becomes soft.
If the lesion has captured a large area, you need to carefully cut off a healthy stalk with a knife and re-root. If the first signs of the disease appear, it is recommended not to water the plant, and when it recovers, transplant it into a new fertile soil.
Bacterial burn
The disease manifests itself when kept in a room with high humidity. The leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Fallen leaves will need to be collected and burned, and the plant must be treated with an antiseptic.
Of the pests, adenium is annoyed by scale insects and false scale insects, spider mites, aphids, mealy and root bugs.
Shields and false shields
Insects enter the pot through contaminated soil. To remove scale insects, the stem is treated with laundry soap foam, and then sprayed with chemicals. To get rid of parasites, it is necessary to completely remove the plant from the ground, shake off excess soil and transplant into a new substrate.
A piece of perlite or vermiculite is poured into the new soil to provide air access to the roots. You can buy special land for cacti.
spider mite
As a result of damage by a spider mite, the foliage becomes pale, falls off. Growth stops. Among the branches you can see a thin cobweb. Spider mite appears in a room with dry air.
root bug
A little pleasant insect that damages the roots of a plant. Parasites with their excrement inhibit the development of adenium. The leaves first wrinkle, then turn yellow, dry and fall off. The root system is also under attack. Join fungal diseases. To fight, you can use Confidor, Aktara.
Mealybug
A small pest that sucks juice. Its habitat is the leaf axils. As a result of the vital activity of the insect, a sooty coating appears on the stems and leaf plates, which contributes to the development of other diseases.
The plant must be treated with soapy water and wipe the stems with a brush. After that, it is recommended to spray with drugs such as Fitoverm or Aktara.
Aphid
The insect appears in the summer, most often at the time when the plant is put on the balcony. Aphids do not like phosphorus, so for processing you need to choose a preparation with its content.
With proper care, many of the problems with growing adenium indoors can be avoided.

Problems in growing adenium
Many flower growers complain about the lack of flowering. This may be due to unsatisfactory conditions of detention.
Signs of inappropriate containment conditions
With excessive watering and the severity of the soil, the tips of the leaves turn black, they become lethargic. The plant needs to be provided with fresh air, so you should ventilate the room more often. You will also need to reduce the amount of watering. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil. If the soil is constantly wet, the roots do not absorb water, it is necessary to replace the soil.
When kept in a cold room, the stem of the succulent begins to rot, the leaves shrivel, turn yellow and fall off. If it is impossible to provide the southern guest with the optimal temperature of the content, you will have to reduce watering or remove it altogether.
Adenium does not like to bathe in the sun. Excessive ultraviolet radiation leads to the appearance of brown spots on the leaf plates. Unfortunately, burns cannot be cured. You will have to completely cut off the foliage burnt in the sun.
Darkness also harms the plant. The lack of light for development adversely affects the growth of the plant. The foliage turns yellow, there is no flowering. To solve the problem, the plant needs a larger pot. Everything is very simple.
When kept in a dry room at high temperature and low humidity, the tips of the leaves begin to dry, and the flowers quickly wither and fall off.
Falling and drying of foliage in autumn is considered the norm. Drying of the tips of the leaves in the spring indicates improper care or a sharp change in conditions of detention. Leaves fall when watering rules are not followed.
Subject to the rules for growing adenium at home, a tropical guest will certainly please his hosts with luxurious flowering. From the video below, you can learn about how to breed exotic pets, how picking is carried out, and many other secrets of keeping adenium at home are revealed.
VIDEO: INDOOR ADENIUM: pruning, reproduction, transplantation and other secrets
INDOOR ADENIUM: pruning, reproduction, transplant and other secrets
Adenium at home: types, planting and care, plant diseases and pests. How to weave a pigtail and create a bright composition from different varieties? (60+ Photos)
