Question : Hi Guy’s:I have had a few Desert Roses for 12 months or more and they are growing very well. have recently acquired a few more, but they are all similar in coloring and I am desperate to get as many colors as possible, so my question is: As I live in Australia, can I buy packs of seeds of each of the different colors, or can you recommend an Australian Nursery (preferably in Queensland) where I may be able to purchase good seeds or seedlings. We have a 5 acre property and we want to make a bit of a show-piece featuring Desert Roses and Frangipani’s along with Orchids and some hardy ferns.Many Thanks Christine
Answer: Good day Christine! We are locate in USA (MIAMI, Florida) so I not familiar with adenium nurseries in your area – Australia. Many people in the internet say they are selling seeds for a particular flower color/type; however, most are lying. A few mention that they cannot guarantee that the plants grow from adenium seeds will look like the parent plant but most do not. The simple truth is that when talking about hybrid seeds (any adenium flower type that does not naturally grow in the wild) only a small percentage actually will grow flowers like the parent plant. This is why if you want a particular adenium flower color or type is best to get a grafted desert rose plant. When plants are grafted the person who does the grafting takes a branch from a parent adenium plant with a particular flower type and place it on a desert rose stock plant.
When a grafted desert rose plant branch grows it will flower like the parent plant. If branches develop on the grafted plant BELOW the graft line then those branches will produce flowers like the stock plant not like the ones on the grafted branch.
When you do obtain desert rose adenium seeds is best to start to plant then in mid spring for best results. Do not plant the seeds later than early summer because you want the adenium seedlings plants well established by winter.
My desert rose plant is losing some of its leaves and there is a cotton like substance on some of the leaves. Is this a fungus? I don’t want my plant to die.
It may be spider mites or a fungus. Take all the leaves off. Check to see if the stems are soft. If soft them it may be a fungus so you will need to remove the soft areas. Otherwise it treat with a soap based natural insecticide.
I am in the Phoenix area so my largest Desert Rose plant bloom almost all year round. I noticed a couple of seed pods on one of my plants. Should I remove them or should I llet them dry in place and then try planting them?
Good Day: On this blog there are several articles about seeds. I would leave the adenium seed pod on the plant and put a plastic bag around the pod so when it opens you capture the seeds.