Swollen base
The trunk forms natural sculptural volume and unique proportions in every specimen.
Adenium obesum 11cm
Normal price
€15,00
What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?
The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Adenium obesum
Part desert, part sculpture, complete star 🌺
- Apocynaceae
- Swollen trunk
- Pink trumpet flowers
- Tree silhouette
- Exotic presence
Adenium obesum is a striking semisucculent with a swollen trunk, smooth branches and an elegant crown of glossy leaves. The contrast between a weighty sculptural base and a light canopy creates the appearance of a miniature mature tree, with the character of natural bonsai without being an artificially dwarfed form. Every specimen develops its own proportions.
When in bloom, pink to red trumpet-shaped flowers transform the silhouette and explain the familiar name desert rose. Even without flowers, the trunk remains a unique focal point that gains volume and personality over time. This is a statement choice for anyone seeking a plant that combines exotic flowering, tree-like elegance and genuine sculptural power in a form that becomes increasingly individual with age.
What makes it stand out
Three defining details that turn its botanical identity into real presence for a collection and interior.
Tree-like crown
Smooth branches and glossy leaves create a clean miniature tree silhouette.
Spectacular flowers
Trumpet-shaped blooms add vivid colour above the sculptural trunk.
Why you’ll love it: it conveys the presence of a mature exotic tree in miniature and becomes more individual as the trunk thickens.
In your spacePlacement & plant pairingsWhere it looks best and which plants complement it
Where it looks its best
Use it as a standalone centrepiece in broad terracotta or matte ceramic, keeping the trunk visible and leaving open space around the crown.
Plants that complement it
Pair it with plants that genuinely share its light, substrate and seasonal rhythm. Separate pots keep care precise for each one.
- Kalanchoe beharensis ‘Maltese Cross’ — a velvety tree crown for dark textural contrast.
- Euphorbia pentagona — five-angled green lines beside the smooth trunk.
- Echeveria ‘Crispate Beauty’ — a broad pastel rosette balancing the small canopy.
Care at a glance
Light
A very bright warm position with direct sun introduced gradually.
Watering
Water deeply in active growth after the mix dries well; reduce sharply during dormancy.
Seasonal rhythm
Steady warmth, free-moving air and complete protection from frost.
Pets & children
Its milky sap contains potent cardiac glycosides and is highly toxic. Keep it strictly away from children and animals and protect skin and eyes.
For this plant
Substrate & nutrition
Detailed careComplete care guideLight, drying cycle, climate, substrate and feeding in detail
Light and position
Offer the brightest available position and increase direct sun gradually. Strong exposure keeps the crown sturdy and the swollen trunk clearly defined.
Correct watering
During active growth water evenly after the mix has dried well and let excess escape. When leaves drop and growth stops, reduce water sharply.
Airflow and humidity
It needs moving air around trunk and roots. Avoid enclosed humidity, a continually wet base and water remaining on cuts.
Temperature and seasonal rhythm
Keep it warm in growth and bright but drier during seasonal dormancy. Cold combined with moisture is especially dangerous and frost must be excluded.
Substrate
Use a highly porous mix with a stable mineral fraction, modest organic content and immediate drainage, without burying the swollen trunk more deeply.
Feeding, repotting and handling
Apply dilute balanced low-nitrogen nutrition only while leaves and new shoots are developing. Protect skin and eyes from sap during pruning or repotting.
Botanical identityIdentity & natural originAccepted name, taxonomic history and natural or cultivated provenance
Accepted species
Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult. is an accepted Apocynaceae species published in its current combination in 1819. This product represents the species rather than a documented named cultivar.
Broad natural range
Its natural range extends from western tropical Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and Tanzania, in dry bushland, semi-desert and rocky hills.
A variable species
Its broad range has produced substantial natural variation in trunk, leaves and flowers. Several names once treated separately are now synonyms, while other Adenium remain distinct species.
From natural habitat to care: Dry shrubland, seasonal leaf fall and a swollen storage trunk explain the need for strong light, steady warmth and sharply different watering between active growth and dormancy.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific facts nobody asked forBotanical detail for anyone who wants to know what lies behind the plant’s appearance
Swollen trunk
The thickened base stores water and carbohydrates.
Seasonal leaf fall
During dry or cooler dormancy it may shed some or all foliage.
Apocynaceae
The family often features milky sap and specialised chemical defences.
Paired fruits
After successful pollination it typically forms a pair of elongated follicles containing seeds with tufts of hair at both ends.
Frequently asked questions
Useful answers about light, watering, seasonal rhythm and the plant’s correct identity.
01What light does it need?
A very bright warm position with direct sun introduced gradually.
02When does it need watering?
Water deeply in active growth after the mix dries well; reduce sharply during dormancy.
03Which potting mix is suitable?
Use a highly porous mix with a stable mineral fraction, modest organic content and immediate drainage, without burying the swollen trunk more deeply.
04How should I follow its seasonal rhythm?
Keep it warm in growth and bright but drier during seasonal dormancy. Cold combined with moisture is especially dangerous and frost must be excluded.
05Is it safe around children and animals?
Its milky sap contains potent cardiac glycosides and is highly toxic. Keep it strictly away from children and animals and protect skin and eyes.
06What makes it distinctive?
A naturally swollen trunk and the contrast between sculptural base and exotic flowers give it unique presence.
📦 Your plant travels protected
Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.
Individual protection
Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.
Sturdy packaging
We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.