Easy Care Plants for Pots – Desert Rose

Desert Roses are fairly common on the Treasure Coast, they are in full bloom now. Adenium obesum is its botanical name. Native to deserts of the Arabian peninsula and tropical and subtropical Africa, this is a very easy care plant with the added bonus of show-stopping flowers. My experience with growing these plants in pots has been nothing short of astonishing. Forget to water it? No problem. Forget the fertilizer? No problem again. Weird specialized plant food, not necessary.

Desert Roses are succulents and thrive on benign neglect. The regions where they occur naturally have the tropical dry/wet seasons similar to the Treasure Coast, which makes them perfectly suitable for growing in pots in the garden. They only need to be watered once a month during the winter and watered more frequently during the summer rainy season (unless it rains!). They are happier when forgotten about for a while, the flowers will remind you it is time to start paying more attention to the care of this plant during spring and summer. The keys to survival of the Desert Rose are not overwatering it, let it be dry during the winter, during the summer rainy season make sure the soil dries out between waterings. Six hours of sun is the minimum amount for a successful outcome. My Desert Roses sit on the driveway in front of the garage and have an east facing wall behind them.

They are available in many different colors and can be kept as bonsai specimens. The trunks, called a caudex, are especially interesting taking on unusual shapes. All parts of these plants are extremely poisonous, so be careful to take that into consideration if children or pets might have access to them.