Desert Rose: description and photo

Desert rose, or adenium, is a deciduous plant of East African origin with thick stems and bright flowers. It belongs to the family Kutrovye (Apocynaceae). At home, the leaves can remain on the plant year-round if heat and light are enough. It is noteworthy that Adenium is often confused with another species, the habitat of which is Egypt. The rose of the desert, as this annual herbaceous plant of the Cabbage family is called, is in fact an Anastatica hierochuntica, and has nothing to do with the family. Look at the photo, - the rose of the desert is indeed a very beautiful and unusual creation of nature.

Morphology

On adult specimens, the stem, or caudex, becomes bloated, thick, often bizarre. This gives the adenium an unusual and amazing look. The leaves are usually bright green. In the dry period, the rose of the desert is strewn with bright flowers. The size of the adenium can reach 5 meters, but there are also such varieties that lack a small pot in the conditions of the apartment. Currently, a large number of hybrids of the desert rose. They are characterized by a wide variety of colors of flowers - from traditionally red to striped and orange. It should be noted that the adenium is poisonous, children and pets should not contact it. After work with the plant, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Varieties

The rose of the desert is represented by a huge variety of subspecies. Let's get acquainted with the most common of them. Adenium swazicum (Adenium swazicum) is one of the most hardy varieties of a desert rose. Characterized by small size and fitness for living in a city apartment.

Adenium Arab (Adenium arabicum) is used as a garden plant, has a thick and powerful squat trunk. The leaves of the Arabian adenium are fleshy and dense, very similar to leaves of succulents. It is interesting that the color of the caudex is very diverse, it can have purple and pink spots.

Adenium somalense (Adenium somalense). This species is characterized by large dimensions and a powerful, expanded base of the trunk. The first one and a half year he grows very quickly, reaching for this time one and a half meters in height. The ambient temperature during the cultivation of the Somali adenium should not fall below 12 ° C.

The Adenium of monkeys (Adenium obesum) became the most popular among florists and fans of desert roses. Other species names are Adenium fat, Adenium thick. It is characterized by a wide variety of forms of leaves and caudex, as well as the coloring of flowers. Breeders successfully use this and create more and more hybrids Adenium obesum.

Growth conditions

The most favorable areas for cultivation and breeding adenium are the tropics and subtropics. Outside these belts the flower requires special care. Constant heat is the basic condition that a desert rose needs. The plant is very demanding and lighting. The ideal location in the apartment - at the window facing south. This will ensure a constant hit on the leaves of the roses of direct sunlight. Watering the plant should be rare. In winter, reduce the flow of water, but at the same time do not overdry the soil, keep it sufficiently moist. The ground for planting roses should have a drainage and be slightly acidic. When buying a mixture for your future rose, choose the soil for succulents and cacti. Each summer, feed Adenium fertilizers. In order for a desert rose to grow more interesting and bizarre, use one secret. Extract the upper part of the root system of the plant from the soil, leaving a little more than half of it in the ground. Thus, the roots will be slightly open, and as a result of growth along with the trunk will begin to form an interesting shape.

Reproduction

Rose of the desert - a plant that reproduces, as a rule, seeds. They ripen in the pods. To accelerate the germination can be sprayed and periodic heating of the pot from the bottom. A week later, the first shoots will appear, and a month later, when several real leaves form on seedlings, one can start transplanting. A desert rose is also propagated by cuttings, but specimens grown in this way may not have such thick and powerful tuberous stems as when grown from seeds. Pinch off the stem 7-10 cm long and dip it into a solution with fungicides and hormones, for example, in a solution of "Epin". Then plant the stalk in a small pot filled with a slightly moistened mixture of perlite and peat in a ratio of 1: 3.

Transfer

A young plant usually has a small pot. But as the adenium grows, transplantation is required in a more spacious container. This procedure is necessary only in the warm season. First, make sure that the soil is dry, then carefully remove the adenium from the pot. Remove old dead roots and any rot. Cuttings formed during the transplantation process with solutions - fungicidal and antibacterial. Place the rose in a new pot and pour the soil into it. For about a week, refrain from watering to prevent the occurrence of root rot, as adenium is very prone to this disease. Also, be careful and careful not to damage parts of the plant.

Rose of the desert in your garden

If you want to decorate your garden or yard with adenium, try to find the most sunny place for this. The rose of the desert, planted in the penumbra, has elongated thin elongated stems and is more susceptible to diseases. The land on the land intended for planting should not be too wet or prone to flooding. If there is no place in your garden with dry soil, make a mound at least 20 cm above the main soil. It is also important that the desert rose grows beyond the reach of automatic irrigation and spraying systems. Together with this species, a variety of thermophilic soil cover plants can be planted . It is important to know the optimal composition of the soil mixture, which is ideal for planting adenium in the open ground. Prepare it yourself will not be difficult.

This mixture includes:

• Peat - 2 parts;
• Coconut fiber - 2 parts;
• Sand - 2 parts;
• Perlite - 1 part.

The first couple of years, the rose of the desert grows very quickly. At this time, it is important and necessary to supply the soil with organic and mineral nutrients. Later, the growth rate slows down, and this is normal. In spring and summer, liquid fertilizer should be added every two weeks. And during the autumn, the intensity of fertilizer application should be reduced.

Get this wonderful flower. Rose desert will help decorate the room or revitalize the appearance of your garden.