Desert rose
Adenium obesum · also called Adenium
Succulent
- Light
- Sunny
- Pot size
- Medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres)
- Care level
- Easy
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 12.8 °C (55 °F)
- Pets
- ASPCA: toxic to pets
Light and position
Full sun: 6 or more hours of direct sun.
Size and pot
NC State lists 3 to 9 feet, but it grows slowly. Our pot band: medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres).
Watering
Let the soil dry between waterings, watering more in the growing season and less while it rests.
Potting mix and feeding
Cactus and succulent mix in a pot with several drainage holes. NC State suggests feeding in spring to encourage flowers.
Growing through the year
Bring it indoors when temperatures reach 55 °F (about 12.8 °C).
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 12.8 °C (55 °F). NC State says to bring it indoors when temperatures reach 55 °F.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Aphids, scale and mealybugs; rot in wet soil. The sap irritates skin.
Pets and people
ASPCA lists desert rose as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (cardiac glycosides). Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, irregular heartbeat and, rarely, death.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.