Desert Rose
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Desert Azalea, Impala Lily, Mock Azalea and Sabi Star.
Desert Rose is toxic
- Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Cardiac glycosides. Clinical signs: Vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, irregular heart beat, death. ASPCA
- Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Cardiac glycosides. Clinical signs: Vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, irregular heart beat, death. ASPCA
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1A — warmer than 15°C 15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- ToxicASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- ToxicASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Let it dry between waterings but water while it is growing, even though it copes well with drought. Move it indoors once outdoor temperatures reach 55°F, and water less during dormancy.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Feed in spring to promote flowering.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- By grafting, seed or stem cuttings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Sow seed at 21°C (70°F) once ripe. In summer, root cuttings of non-flowering shoots over bottom heat.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by mealybugs, aphids, armored scale, soft scale and root mealybugs. Diseases: southern blight.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Aphids can occur. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Adenium obesum, more commonly known as a desert rose, is a poisonous species of flowering plant belonging to the tribe Nerieae of the subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara, tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa, as well as the Arabian Peninsula. Other names for the flower include Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, and impala lily. Adenium obesum is a popular houseplant and bonsai in temperate regions.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- W. Trop. Africa to Arabian Pen. and TanzaniaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Sub-Saharan Africa & Arabian PeninsulaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Arabia, Tropical AfricaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- desert or dry shrublandWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- semisucculent shrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Succulent; habit erect, irregular, multi-stemmedNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (deciduous)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 36–108 in; width 36–60 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 1-1.5 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers pink, red/burgundy, white; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers pink in summer; red in summer; white in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
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OleanderBrown brittle margins with a green centre
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.