One of my favorite house or container plants is the desert rose. This

little succulent is part of the dogbane family which includes oleander,

mandevilla, vinca and plumeria.

 

The desert rose (Adenium obesum) is a native of  Mauritania, 

Senegal, Sudan, south through the Arab nations to South Africa, and

they thrive in our central Texas sunshine and heat. However, like

its friends plumeria and vinca, you have to protect them from our

cold winters.

 

So this deciduous, succulent shrub, that can easily handle extreme

heat and sun, is a perfect choice for our central Texas weather.

 

I have had a rather large and old specimen at home for years. With

the warming weather of spring, I set her out on a deck with full sun

exposure. As the days get warmer, I water and feed the plant more

frequently. Missing a few days or even a week doesn’t hurt.

 

These plants have a swollen base known as ‘a caudex.’ This is

where they store water for periods of drought.

 

During the summer months we are rewarded with pretty flowers.

They are tubular, five-petalled, star-shaped flowers like the lei-

flowers of the plumeria.

 

As the days get shorter and cooler in the fall, the desert rose will

begin to shed its leaves and become dormant. I then move the plant

indoors and place her near a sunny, south-facing window. There

she will stay throughout the winter months, without a drop of water.

 

With the return of warmer weather and the longer days of spring,

out she goes again for another season in the sun.

 

Older plants will sometimes reward you with a seed pod. Seeds

resemble small, hollow toothpicks and are easy to germinate. These

desert roses will grow to 6 inches tall in their first year. They will

continue to grow 6 to 8 inches a year throughout their life. In their

native habitat, they can reach a height of 10 feet.

 

To see photographs of these wonderful plants, click on this link: 

 

They're easy to grow, with a beautiful flower and plant form.

What more could we ask for in a plant?