Product Review

Desert rose is often grown as a houseplant.Desert rose (Adenium obesum) is a succulent shrub related to the oleander, allamanda and frangipani. This is an easy plant to start from seed, but you will need to sow the seeds indoors, otherwise the wind will blow them away. The desert rose blooms the same year it's sowed, with funnel-shaped, colorful flowers. When the desert rose grows, it will have a fat, swollen caudex or trunk and roots. It is not unusual for this plant to live 20 years or more. HOW TO GROW 1. Fill a bowl with tepid water. Place the seeds in the water and allow them to soak for three to four hours. 2. Fill a small sowing tray with a seed starter soil. You can buy this at any garden supply store. You can also use vermiculite or a mixture of one part compost and one part perlite or sand. 3. Scatter the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil. Barely cover the seeds with soil. 4. Put the tray in a plastic bag and place in a sunny window. The plastic bag acts like a small greenhouse -- it helps keep the soil warm and humidity high. You can also put the tray on a heating pad and keep the temperature between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 5. Water the pot from below daily and water the soil on the top every three days. In five to 10 days, the seeds will begin to sprout. After the seeds germinate, water only from below. 6. Transplant the seedlings one month later. The pot should be two times larger than the root ball. Make sure the pot has drainage holes. Tips & Warnings You can cut off the stems when they grow tall. Water the plant early in the morning. During the summer water frequently, but don't keep the soil soggy. During the winter months, cut back on watering. Prune the roots and repot every one to two years. Watch for spider mites and mealy bugs if grown indoors. The desert rose plant is poisonous in ingested and the sap is toxic.