Caring for the desert rose so it blooms abundantly

In July 2026, Gartenjournal published a care guide for the desert rose (Adenium obesum). It is a shrub with a thickened trunk, the caudex, which stores water. Indoors it usually stays at 30 to 50 cm, and its bell-shaped flowers appear from April to July in white, pink, red or purple.

It needs lots of light and warmth. It can go outside in summer, but it should be gradually acclimatised to the sun and must not drop below 15 °C. In winter 12 to 15 °C is right, and never below 10 °C.

For the substrate, the article recommends a mix of houseplant potting soil and sand (80:20). Plants grown from seed tolerate cactus soil better, while grafted plants cope well with tub soil. Water less in autumn, hardly at all in winter, and increase again from March. A limp, rubbery trunk is a sign of water shortage. Fertilise from March to October every two to three weeks with cactus fertiliser.

Winter dormancy with leaf loss is normal and encourages flowering next year. The milky sap is poisonous, so keep the plant out of reach of children and pets.

I like that the text explains the difference between plants grown from seed and grafted plants, because that is often overlooked when choosing soil.

Source: Gartenjournal