Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult.

Desert rose, sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, impala lily

Desert rose is native to tropical, subtropical, and desert regions of Africa. It does not occur in North America, but it is popular as a house plant or bonsai.

Plants: Desert rose has a thick, swollen base that tapers upward, producing several smooth crooked branches. This is a drought deciduous evergreen, meaning that is has leaves year-round, except in periods of extended drought. Then it drops them to reduce water loss. Plants are 3–13′ (1–4 m) in height.

Leaves: Leaves are succulent—thick, leathery, and water-retentive—and arranged in spirals. They are gray-green, obovate or elliptic, on short petioles. Each leaf is 3–6 ⨉ 1–2″ (8–15 ⨉ 3–6 cm).

Flowers: Flowers are tube-shaped, pink-to-red, rarely white, opening into a five-petaled star 1½–2″ (4–6 cm) in diameter.

Fruits: Slender, green, pod-like fruits up to 4″ (10 cm) long that split open when mature and release tufted seeds.

Habitats: Tropical and subtropical deserts.

Edibility: Poisonous. Exudes a toxic latex when cut. Its cardiac gylcosides have been used to make poison bullets.

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Adenium obesum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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