6 Common Issues with Desert Rose & Possible Fixes

When we’re growing our lovely adenium desert rose, sometimes it will grow strong & beautiful, and other times it will get sick and need our help.

We know how it feels when seeing your beautiful babies getting sick & weak. But don't worry. With our Sherlock hat and a magnifying glass in hand, together let's find out how to fix:

• Petals tearing apart
• Leaves curling
• Leaves turning yellow
• Roots getting rotted
• Soft adenium caudex
• Desert roses not blooming

Starting off first, let's see:

1. Petals Tearing Apart

Diagnosis: You can notice this happening when the flower is very young—usually when it is just a bud. The usual desert rose flower will grow up with each of the petals closely attached to each other, forming a nice smooth tube.

In this case, however, you will see one or two petals tearing apart or separating from the other petals. Thus, no tube can be formed even when it grows bigger. On the same branch, you may see one bud with torn-up petals like this and the others still growing strong and healthy.

Quick Fix: One potential idea for this is the genetic variety of the plant you’re having. This may just be one of nature’s diverse makeups & it's perfectly normal.

From one grower's experience, this may be a slight 'flaw' in the seed-grown adenium. The first flower the plant produces may be torn up. Then the following ones all bloom in good shape.

This is one reason why sellers sometimes sell these adenium at a cheaper price. They are good for enjoying the beauty but may not be suitable to get seeds for propagation. If you graft these torn-up flowers on other adenium branches, chances are high that the next round of flowers will also be torn.

Also, check the amount of sunlight you're giving your baby. Desert roses love full sun–the more, the better. Without enough sunlight, leaves & flowers cannot form beautifully.

Check if there may be any deficiencies in the plant's diet. The lack of phosphorous, a macro-nutrient, may affect flower & fruit development. With enough potassium, your flowers will grow stronger & with brighter colors.

Some Good Phosphate
0-46-0 perfect for acid loving plants.

Be sure, also, to give the adenium more water during the stages when it develops leaves and flowers. Producing those beautiful flowers and foliage requires a good amount of water.

One of the desert roses we have here in Zenyr Garden is currently having the same issue of torn-up petals. We'll try to experiment with some of these ideas and report back. Currently, things haven't improved and are still the same. We'd love to hear from you about any tips you have.

One of the readers in the comment section has shared that the torn-up pattern could be due to the temperature /seasonal pattern. The flower gets torn-up in the hot summer but in the winter it is smooth and beautiful. Truly a wonder and miracle.

After a while of observing it, we're still seeing the torn-up petals on the plant. Our guess is this may have something to do with the genetics of it or this specific plant/variety.

If you see adenium leaves curling up, let's see up next why this might be:

2. Leaves Curling Inward At the Tip

Diagnosis: We have checked out some other sources about this leaf-curling issue. Some gardeners have experienced the same thing.

From their experience, the curling of the leaves may just be normal growing, and it should not affect the overall health of the desert rose.

If you only see one or two leaves on the plant curling up while the others are still in good shape, it may not be a big deal at all.

From a more technical point of view, the issue with leaves curling up may be the result of a potassium or nitrogen deficiency. Potassium is another macro-nutrient that is responsible for stem and root growth. Nitrogen is good for leaf & branch.

Quick Fix: We may try adding some more potassium and nitrogen by planting in some beans or putting some composted kitchen scraps into the soil. This way, we can then wait and see until the next round when the plant produces leaves and get good results.

Another very common problem many growers have is:

3. Adenium Leaves Turning Yellow

Adenium leaves yellowing is probably one of the most common issues with desert rose. According to some growers, you may be over watering your plant. There’s an easy way to know this.

When you touch the adenium caudex, if it's too soft, then it may be lacking water. If the caudex feels just right, then it’s good.

If it's too hard, then you may be giving it more water than it needs.

The tree will also tell you by giving you signals. If there’s too much water, you may see some spots popping up on the caudex—just like pimples. The tree has to create exit ways for the water to get out.

Look for these spots:

When you see this, you may need to reduce the amount of water. Or putting the plant somewhere else with more sunlight so it can use up the water it is storing inside. Alternatively, some folks pick the desert rose out of the soil, cut some parts of it roots, and hang the tree up to let it dry out.

Try touching the leaves. If on a gentle touch, the yellow leaves fall off almost immediately, then they are simply old yellow leaves, and everything is in its normal cycle.

See a normal yellow leaf falling off on a touch right here:

However, if you try touching or pressing down on the leaves a couple of times but they won’t fall off, then those yellow leaves may not be old leaves.

Rather, they may be young leaves experiencing some issues with water or diseases.

If you’re under-watering the plant, its caudex or the whole plant may start to shrink. Touching the caudex (aka the base), you will feel that it’s way too soft. But don't squeeze it too hard because that might damage the tree tissue. Then, you know you need to ramp up the amount of water.

But the question many people ask is:

How Can We Tell if We're Over-Watering or Under-Watering?

From our limited experience, we can begin looking at where the yellowing is starting from.

For example, if it starts to yellow from the tip of the leaves in, then this may suggest over-watering. One example of this is a little plant here:

The babies will have very similar reactions as the adult plants.

On the other side of the story, if yellowing starts somewhere around the inner part of the leaf, this may reflect the lack of sunlight or the lack of water. You can see an example here:

In one other case, from this observation, you may get a clearer idea of what might be going on & what actions you can take to help the plants grow stronger again.

If you see the yellowing begins from the tip in, then it may suggest over-watering. If however you see the yellowing starts from the inside of the leaf, then it may be under-watering.

A diagram for visualization:

This came to us as an impulse, not a scientific exploration or conclusive finding, so please note for your reference.

The other reason why leaves may be yellowing is:

Sun stress

Sometimes, when placed under too much sun or heat, the adenium leaves could gradually turn yellow.

The yellowing block out the excess amount of sunlight the plants absorb in. As the yellow leaves fall down, new young green leaves will grow out again.

You don't have to worry too much in this case, and you can put the plants somewhere cooler.

If you overwinter your adenium indoors, when they are first put outside under the sun again, their leaves may scorch (getting sunburned).

So introduce light gradually to your plants, so they can get acclimated to the increased lighting and begin growing fully again.

See more info here:

Sometimes, with too much water, growers might see the:

4. Roots Getting Rotted

Root rot is an issue that may be related also to yellow leaves.

Because the roots may be over watered, they burst out the components inside them and become quite mushy.

To find the rotted part of the roots, you may want to look at the yellow leaf. Then, following it like a blood vein, trace it all the way down to the stem and the nearest roots around that branch.

Use your hands to touch and feel the root system. If it is rotted for only a small part, then cut the part out. And apply some garden lime powder or cinnamon on to heal the scar.

If you see black spots on the roots or they are severely rotted, dig your plant up, cut the rotted roots out, and hang the plant upside down in some place with shade. Spread some lime powder or paste on for healing. When the scars heal, replant the tree into the soil.

We can use some good lime for the job:

Good Cheap Garden Lime
Protects cuts from water & bacterial infections

If you don't like using the garden lime powder, here are some other super cheap sealants:

• Cinnamon ground
• Titebond 3 wood glue (No. 3 works best for this purpose)

There are some other ways you can apply to get rid of the rot:

1. Use a high-pressure garden hose to blow the rotted part out
2. Soak the rotted roots in lime solution to kill the harmful bacteria
3. Use a spoon to scoop out the rotted part

After the rot treatment and a resting period, when you replant the desert rose in good soil, it will be happy and grow back strong again.

For more information on treating root rotting, check out some more ideas here (with pictures):

In contrast to over-watering, in some cases growers under-water their adenium, which could then lead to a:

5. Soft Adenium Caudex

Soft adenium caudex may be caused by movement shock during shipping, especially for grafted desert roses.

It may also be damage from dropping, which causes some bruise. The plants may also be dehydrated, under-nourished or under root fungal attack.

To save your babies, you may need to temporarily cut off big energy consumers. By that we mean, cut off those leaves, flowers & small branches.

Then, snip off some mushy, black string roots (if any). Dig your plants up & let it rest for 7-21 days. Also, remember no waterings at this point.

After the resting period, place your plants in fresh, cool growing medium for its recovery. Give it some water.

This recovery process can take up to 3 months or more depending on the strength of your trees. Fortunately, in many cases the caudex will harden up & your trees will bounce back to normal.

Another question many people ask is Why are:

6. Desert Roses Not Blooming

The desert roses not blooming yet may be because there's too much nutrients in the soil & your plants are still consuming the good bits to develop their branches.

Similar to some mushrooms. It may only fruit (become a mushroom) when the substrate that nourishes it runs out. So applying the same philosophy in this case for the desert roses, it may not be not the time yet to bloom or produce seeds pods.

If the plants have been fed with some chemical fertilizers, this may weaken its overall health & root system. Which leads to a slower time to flower.

You may want to save the plants by cutting down on the chemical ferts & re-planting them into a clean medium for a fresh start. Sand works great for this purpose.

A lack of sunlight & pests problems may also be some of the causes for long blooming time. In this case, let the plants enjoy the sunlight for a bit longer & use some mild insecticides or dish soap to get rid of the pests.

You can check out more info here:

Lastly, we may see some:

7. Other Leafy Issues

Here are some other issues adenium lovers have also shared:

Weirdly shaped leaves

As you can see, the leaves in this case may be doing what we call, self-eating (autophagy). It shrinks back in size from either one side or on some particular part of the leaf.

One question our inner child or the inquisitive kids may ask is: Where did that part of the leaf go? Our best guess in this case or in any cases where you see some drawing back of some parts of the plant could be deficiency.

Something or some nutrients may be lacking somewhere, and our adenium may need to cut back on a few parts to move the nutrients to the places where it thinks are essential to sustain the life of the plant.

If we continue with this size, we may not have enough to distribute to everyone. This signals to us, as thoughtful gardeners, that our plants may need some nutrient boost.

If you take a more drastic approach, we can “downsize” the plant. You may defoliate it and prune back where the branches may be too long. Shorter or medium-long branches make it easier for our tree to pump water up and nourish the top-most parts of the plant.

Also, don't forget about these naughty guys:

Insect attacked leaves

Our young, fresh adenium leaves are yummy treats for the worms, bugs and comfy homes for other insects to lay eggs.

From one grower's experience (and also opinion), the plant may release a smell that attracts these creatures. When you see tiny red dots clustering up on the leaves, you know your leaves have been visited by an unwanted visitor called the red spider mite.

Here are their faces:

To ask the visitors to leave (without any mercy), you may want to take a drastic approach and spray some chemicals like supracide, kelthane, or tribon on both sides of the leaves.

Be careful though because these chemicals can be highly toxic with side effects appeared only much later.

For a milder solution, try horticultural oils (like neem oil) as a prevention. If you decide to use neem oil, just make sure not to it on leaves in direct sunlight to avoid leaf damage.

Onion, garlic, mustard also work. Some people also use a beer + water mix as a preventative spray. The oil in dish soap helps dissolve the insects' protective coat & messes a bit with their reproduction system. So, it may scare them away.

Spraying/washing the leaves frequently may disturb any existing unwanted inhabitants. This could make them say "Nah, let's just build our house somewhere else. There's too much 'earthquakes and tsunamis' here. It's not worth the time here." Our adenium will be happy then.

If you notice only a few caterpillars or little worms on the leaves, you can pick them up by hand. These guys appear most in the rainy season. Don't forget to wear gloves when "worm-picking" (we're not cherry picking) so if you don't want to be yelled at by your loved ones.

If there are too many of them, you may try spraying the solution every 10-15 days. Just cut the infected leaves off the branch and put them in a garbage bag somewhere far away from your growing area.

When we see the eggs, but the mama is not there, we may wonder: Where did mama go? One thing we know for sure is she must not go very far. She must be sticking around our area somewhere, but we haven’t spotted her yet. Or she could have died like some insects do after laying eggs.

These things are normal. They come & go with the season. So don't worry too much right now. Speaking of bugs, we have found this creature near our desert rose. Do you think it’s a bug or something? Looks naughty.

Update: We've asked the folks over at Reddit about this creature. From their experience (which is obviously much more than ours), this little guy is a yellow stinky bug with the romantic scientific name Erthesina Fullo. Fortunately, they don't bite or sting (phew!). But the specie can be very invasive.

White spot on the leaves

We notice this white round spot on one of the leaves. To be honest with you, we currently don’t know what the causes for this might be. We post it here to share our experience and to see if anyone has any ideas for what might be happening.

In some cases, the white speckles on the leaves could be due to hard water.

Final Checklist for Healthy, Happy Desert Roses

• 100% sunlight
• Water more on flowers & leaves days
• Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium all good
• Good air flow & drainage
• Check for weird red, white, black dots on both sides of leaves
• Feel the hardness of the caudex & branches
• Give it a nice “hair cut” after flowering to toughen it up
• Check the surrounding for any weird insects or organisms
• Send your love to desert rose every day

We know, we play music to our plants and kiss them “muah muah” every morning. No, we don't. Okay, sometimes we do. So much for the love of a resilient, elegant plant. We love you, Aaadenium!!!

Don't Worry, Your Desert Rose Will Fight It Through! She or He Is a Warrior

Don't be disappointed my friends, everybody has issues with their trees at some point. Just like when we’re raising a kid, there are good desert rose days and bad desert rose days.

During hard times, when the plant can’t seem to be strong enough to fight on its own, it may be calling for our help. As caring and smart gardeners, we’d want to make sure we understand our unique babies enough to help them and not make matters worse.

Very often, what’s showing on the surface might suggest problems stemming from the underneath, that is the root. If we take a more holistic approach to caring for our plants, we can see how the sunlight, the water, the food, the air all affects each other like an orchestra or symphony of nature.

Having an adenium with issues is interesting and offers a unique learning opportunity. It’s the fun of our gardening process, so enjoy! If you have any questions, let us know. Have a beautiful day wherever you are in the world.

Responses to Readers' Questions

Any advice about overwintering them indoors as houseplants??

--> For overwintering desert roses indoors, you might want to try covering them with at least two layers of cover to retain some warmth.

Place them against a wall so the heat trapped by the wall can keep the plants warmer. Make sure the indoor temperatures are from 55F (13C) and above.

If your plants haven't gone dormant at this time, you might want to force it by not watering for some time. The leaves will start to turn yellow and drop, and the plants will begin to "fall asleep".

You don't need to water too much at this point–maybe once a month for smaller plants is enough. Keep them bone dry until it warms up or until the plants throw out some new sprouts. Your desert roses will survive the winter & be happy again. I hope this helps!

>> More info here: Winter care for desert roses

Hi guys.Was wondering how to get rid of the white sticky substance on my Desert Rose.Any advice will help.

--> Can you send us a picture? It's easier to see what might be going on.

What if the adenium leaves are bending backward. Not curling in but bending toward the branches?

--> Noted and could you please provide us with a picture? You can send it in the 'Upload images' box or contact us page if you like. In the meantime, I'll ask growers around to see if they know something.

Hello again, from what I've asked (Garden S on YouTube), maybe it's mites or aphids? Some species are so tiny that you may need a magnifying glass to see.

You could also wash/spray the leaves to disturb the bugs enough so they'll find their houses elsewhere. Report back if you'd like on the results. And I hope this helps!

I have a white sticky substance on the leaves of desert rose - how do I get rid of it?

--> Thanks for your question. It is similar to one question we've had above. If the white sticky substance looks something like this:

It might be some mite or spider webs, imho. If this is the case, you could spray the leaves with water to disturb the insects/pests so they won't come hanging around. Mixing the solution with neem oil or beer + frequent spraying is also a good prevention. Could it also be some white latex or some elements around the environment? If it is another case, I'll ask a grower as I don't know everything. Hopefully they have something to share! :)

Hello there, from what I got back, to get rid of the white sticky substance on adenium leaves, you could spray the leaves with water to wash it off. Or use your hands/gloves to scrape off the white substance. If you think it is more severe, pick that leaf and wrap it in a bag. You could take it to a near-by pest shop for an expert to examine closely. Other than that, I hope this helps!

Update (Apr 6 2021): Upon seeing some white sticky substance on my sugarcane plants, it hit me that in your case it might be mealybug. And the white substance is their white sap. In which case, spraying them like the above-mentioned ways will help your plants.

I live in Wisconsin i have a seed pod 4 months old and the end of the seed pod is curly up turning dark is it ok?

--> Thanks for your question. First of all, congrats! Having the desert rose producing seed pod is a great experience. Regarding the end of the pod curling up and turning dark, (recalling from my vague memory) perhaps it could be because it is too sunny, too dried up or the pod may be too old?

When hand pollinated and fertilization is successful, a tiny seed pod of the size of a baby's finger will develop within 7-10 days. And about 2-3 months after that, the pods will ripen and be ready for harvest. This could however be 3.5-4 months depending on the strength of the plant and the variety. You can tell by seeing the line on the seed pod crack open (if you're not wrapping it with some sort of ties). Have you checked the seeds inside? May be it's time for harvest. Let me double check just to be sure. I hope this helps temporarily!

Hey there again, if you see the end darkening but the pod is not too dry, then it means the pod is just aging. However, if you see the end darkening but it's also drying up, this means the pod may not be good anymore. It could also be what some people call rotten. This could be due to the weather or some pests. And also, when the seed pod is forming, it is advisable to not spray strong chemicals or water directly on the pod. I hope this helps!

We live in BAJA IN THE WINTER. DOES THE DESERT ROSE GO DORMANT AT THAT TIME? THE LEAVES SEEM TO GO YELLOW AND FALL OFF.

--> Thanks for your question. Interesting place–and yes from my limited experience, the desert rose does go into dormancy gradually as the cold begins to hit. The process may be kickstarted as the plant senses a change in weather. Usually when there's not sufficient sunlight, the leaves will start to turn yellow and fall off. Some folks force dormancy by not watering the plants or bringing them inside for some time. The good news is, during this time the desert rose is just going into sleep mode and is very much alive. When spring comes, you could introduce light gradually to wake up the plant and she/he will be happy again. Happy new year–I hope this helps!

I have a dessert rose that I have had for 10 years or more. It always flowered and grew lovely. This year it isn’t even leafing out ! I repotted it. Roots look fine. All my desert roses sit outside in the sun for the summer here in NC. 4 others are doing just fine. Any ideas ? The stems and causes are firm. Not mushy or soft

Hm.. thanks for your sharing. From what you've described, things seem to be very much in check. Did anything different happen, as you may recall, to that particular plant compared to the rest? For now, I can't really think of a possible cause for this. Have you pruned it recently? After pruning it usually takes 15 days for it to leaf out again. I'm not sure if this helps, but keep us posted!

What kind of soil can I transfer a new growth from seeds?

--> Thanks for your question. You can use cactus/succulent soil. Those are usually mixed with perlite or pine bark allowing good drainage for the adenium.

I have 6 desert rose plants. I think i may have accidently over watered three of them. they got the mushy caudex and the leaves yellowed. i saw a forum somewhere to trim of the root ball and caudex to the point of healthy tissue. I did this and dipped them in cinnamon about two days ago. now they are sitting out in the sun. They still feel a bit mushy but one of them is regrowing roots so far. are these possibly going to come back and make it? I have a bonsai tree problem asa well if anyone could help with that

--> Thanks for your question. From what you've described, I believe there is chance for them to grow back and get strong again. Keep monitoring and see how it progresses. Regarding the bonsai tree problem, I don't have much experience with it. But you're welcome to share and let's see if anyone knows something that could help. Keep us posted. Peace & enjoy, ZG.

Hi Jenny here from east coast Australia, love my desert roses but a couple of them have very dark trunks looks like mold but can’t rub off, they still flower and healthy otherwise..

--> Hello there Jenny. Ohh Australia, cool place, what season is it there this time of year? Regarding your question, if I recall correctly, some adenium varieties (or adenium within the same variety) may have differing bark color compared to others, some are darker than others. If they still bloom and are doing fine, I believe they'll be fine. It's not serious or a big problem or any disease at all. You don't have to worry too much about it. Thanks for sharing the aden love, I hope this helps!

newly brought grafted adenium plant and leaves are pale green and whitish

--> Thanks for your question & picture. It looks like it may be lacking some sunlight. Has it been indoors or somewhere in the shade? Possibly you could let it sit out to enjoy some sunshine. Gradually I think the green pigment will develop and the leaves will be darker green again. Another thing I thought of is do you know what variety is the grafted plant? There is some that has natural whitish, pale leaves (not exactly the same but a bit similar to this). They are usually grafted and may flower single or multiple layers. If it's so, then it may be natural. Any case, I hope this helps!

These yellow and pink leaves appeared within 4 days. The plant is is over 40 years old, 8 ft. long and 7 ft. tall. My biggest problem has been orange with black Caterpillar infestation, very poisonous, and swarm over a 2 day period, each season. Easily solved with common insecticide spray. But these yellow leaves with pinkish spots and yellowing are a first time appearance. Any sugestions?

--> Thanks for your question and pictures. Hmm... I am not sure what could be the cause for this. When you touch the yellow leaves, do they fall off almost immediately? If they do, it may be natural yellowing and it's in time for the plant to replace old leaves. Regarding the pinkish spots, could it be a type of fungi? Seeing it reminds me of the rust thing on other plants or grass. Does it spread to the whole plant? I mean, the overall plant health (flowers, leaf color) looks very good and resilient to me, considering it's over 40 years of age. Any case, I have also inquired a second opinion on this. Let's see if someone else knows something that could help. Do keep us updated. Hope this gives you some clue temporarily!

Hey there again! So, from what I've asked, this could be because of seasons change. or some changes in the local environment/eco-system around. Keep an eye on it to see if it's serious, do keep us posted and we'll go from there. I hope this helps!

All Leaves on Desert Rose point skyward

--> Thanks for your message. I have noted this case. Currently, we don't have an answer for this. Let's wait and find out.

Hey there again! So, this is only my guess but what color are the leaves? Are they pointed skyward at just the tips of the leaves, or, at a slanted angle on all the leaves bodies? Possibly could it be that the desert rose is exposed to much sunlight --> it's closing leaves surface to receive less? In another case, the upper most leaves on some desert roses usually point more skyward than lower leaves. Could be the variety or the environment.. hm. I guess that's how it is for the plant's growth. Some adenium have all pointed leaves as you can see here (click on the image to see it bigger):

Have a look, and I hope this helps! See you again next time.

Why does my desert rose have pointed "arms"?

--> Thanks for your question. First of all, congratulations, it is good news! Those pointed arms are actually desert rose seed pods. When they ripen, they will turn more brown and crack open. Alternatively, you could tie the seed pods with bands or something similar so seeds won't fly away when the pods open. You'll see some hairy little seeds inside. Till then, you can pluck off the hairs on both ends and sow the seeds for more new desert roses. Depending on the pod creation or plant health, there may be 40-60 seeds more or less in one of those 'arms'. I hope this helps!

Why are the flowers of my white desert rose brown?

--> Thanks for your question and pictures. Have they been in contact with rain lately? It could cause the flowers to brown and rot. My other guess is could it be some insects sting or bite into the flowers. I have seen some of my pink ones go brown like this. Let me ask around if there could be other causes. For now, I hope this helps temporarily!

Petals on my desert rose flowers look shreaded

--> Thanks for your question and sharing. Similar to yours, I have experienced a similar issue with the shredded petals. Have shared it in the photo at the beginning of the post here:

Does it look similar or somewhat different? I've also tried several ways for this. But the continuing rounds of flowers still look shredded, particularly on only 1 or 2 same ones. Hmm. Not sure yet how this might be treated. If anyone out there knows something about this, you're welcome to chime in and please share with us some ideas. In the meantime, let's keep looking & do keep us posted, see you again next time!

Hi, do you think u can help me identify whats causing this yellowing?  🤔   thanks

--> Hi thanks for your question and pictures. Hmmm... for the first plant in the red pot, where are you placing/keeping them? It seems from the photo that the sunlight reflected is quite bright (or though it might be the brightness of the device). It is strange to me that the leaves have white speckles on it while the plant next to it doesn't have so. If I recall correctly, the white speckles resemble that on the Dieffenbachia Picta plant, aka dumbcane or tuftroot.

Personally, I have seen something like that with some of my desert roses. Not entirely sure about the cause but I'd guess it could be something missing for the plants, the water source or the sunlight. From this, I guess you could possibly try adding some nutrients to the soil, replace the water source or possibly place them somewhere with lower less sunlight. Haven't really thought about the water source, as I have used both rainwater and tap water, thinking I might try checking so with the plants experiencing it. From one of our readers has shared, it could be an infection though.

And for the second plant in the black pot. It overall looks very healthy. Those little yellow leaves underneath are what I believe old leaves. It is natural and they will fall off over time by themselves. So you don't have to worry too much in this case. And also, for the plant that seems to be yellowing from the leaf body out, it could possibly be the harsh sunlight. As it is not yellowing from the leaf tip in, I'd guess it may not be overwatering. With that said, so how is the weather in your area this summertime? Is the sunlight harsh at times of the day? Please have a check and see. Take care and take care of your plants. Hope they'll get better. Keep us posted. I hope this helps!

Yellow striped worms all over my dessert roses, 2 in pots and 2 in the ground, don’t see them on any other plants, did a lot of damage quickly

-->  Hi thanks for sharing. I'm sorry to hear about it. Worms can do a lot of damage to the desert roses. The leaves are their favorite food. I've seen a grower shared that in just one night 1-2 worms could make an entire small aden go 'bald'.

The worms we usually see here are green worms. This reminds me, are the worms you're seeing black and yellow striped? I think I've seen them before on my desert roses. Quite a few. My dad just picked them by hand and sprayed something... oil if i recall correctly. They usually come in the rainy months.

As a prevention, you could spray neem oil (does not smell very good). Some people also use beer + water as a prevention spraying, if that's another way you'd like to try that could help prevent worms for the next time coming. Do watch the plants & report back if you like. I hope your plants recover. See you again next time.

My desert rose has grown this weird thing at the top.

--> Hi thank you for sharing. First of all congratulations, it is actually good news! Those two "horns" are what they call seed pods. Inside them are tiny little desert rose seeds. You can harvest them to get the seeds and sow more desert roses. When those pods ripen, they will crack open and you'll see desert rose seeds inside (with hairs on both ends). You can pluck the hairs off and sow the seeds. People also tie those pods with rubber bands or zip ties of some sort to avoid seeds flying away when the pods crack and they are not there to harvest. Enjoy your desert rose beauty!

I have some photos of the seeds, let me search for you. They look like this:

From those seeds, they grow into cute little seedlings like this:

I hope you enjoy. For more desert roses love & info, you can check out our Desert Rose Series. I'll drop a link here if you're interested:

Thanks for dropping by. See you again next time!

My branches were broken off. The caudex has little buds. How do I encourage them? How much water, sunlight, food?

--> Hi, many apologies for the late reply. Have missed your question for some reason - thanks for your question. Personally I have seen somewhere else on adenium forums, that people share they have little flowers on their adenium caudex. So the bud growing in this case is first of all I believe a natural response of the plant since the branches have been broken off. How is it doing now btw!

To answer your question, to encourage the bud growth at this stage, you could use a fertilizer high in nitrogen. The feeding time is often 2 weeks apart to make sure the plant has already absorbed the nutrients before we feed it new ones. As it is summer in most areas of the world, you could let the plant enjoy some more sunshine. About 6hrs a day is good, but not too harsh light. Depending on the weather condition, you could check the soil moisture before watering. Does the soil look dry or is it still moisture in there (also see the humidity in your area). As a start, you could possibly space the watering out 3 days apart. You could mix in some fish emulsion or seaweed with the water for spraying. These are high in nitrogen and adenium can also absorb nutrients through their leaves.

As a general rule of thumb, the amount may vary by the fertilizer maker, but you could dissolve 1 teaspoon (or 2 grams) per 1-2 liters of water. Or 2-3 teaspoons per gallon of water. Ratio could be 1:50. The dilution is as not to burn the plant. Also observe your plant response to adjust the amount needed for it at the needed moment. During the active growth season (with good sunlight, food, water), you may plant the desert rose into a bigger pot for it to catch on to the new growth cycle and expand its roots system.

I hope this helps!

I'll drop a link here if you may find it helpful:

See you again next time.

I have a red desert rose and it only has one straight stem. I have had it for 2 years and it hasn’t changed. Do I cut it back even thought there will be no leaves.

--> Thanks for your question. May I ask though, what would you like to accomplish for the desert rose? And is it experiencing any problems? To ease your worry about no leaves remaining, if the desert rose is having yellow leaves, yes you could prune the branch back. The leaf clusters will shoot out from the branch "eyes" forming new leaves. If however you're looking to prune it back for it to grow more branches, I am not entirely sure if it could in this case. Some desert rose varieties like obesum or somalense I believe may usually only grow out a single branch from the caudex. Other species like the arabicum may have several branches growing out from the swollen base (aka caudex). In any case, keep us posted if you'd like. Provide some more details if you could. Let me ask another grower for a second opinion also.

Here is an article on pruning desert roses you may like to read:

How to Prune Desert Roses

If you’d like your desert roses to grow more branches and bloom more flowers,then pruning or trimming the existing branches down can give you very goodresults. Although pruning can help, doing so might lead to root rot if we’re not careful.Let’s grab some gears & do some

Zenyr GardenZenyr Garden

I hope this helps!

(Update): Hi so from another grower that I've asked, a single-stem desert rose can grow out smaller branches after pruning. If this is something you're wanting to do, then go ahead! It's totally fine with no leaves as the leaves will grow back out.

Can I use banana water for the potassium on my desert rose and how often?

--> Hi thanks for your question - good question. I'd say, yes banana water can work for desert roses with the potassium. You could mix about 3-6 ml banana water per 1 liter of water. Or 3-4 teaspoons per gallon. Feeding could be spaced out 2-3 weeks apart and feed in cool afternoons. If you spray the water, remember to filter out some pulp for it to not block the spray head. If you pour directly into the base of the desert rose, then no need to filter out too thoroughly. If you have other plants, could mix 30 ml banana water into a 10 liter water bucket. Each pouring can be about 50-100 ml (about roughly a fourth or half a cup) per desert rose base. Feed potassium and phosphorous especially more so when desert rose is blooming. You could watch the plant reactions to make any adjustments if needed. As this is an organic-based fertilizer, a little overdose won't burn your desert rose.

I hope this helps!

Banana water application for kumquat plants (starts at 4:40)

Not directly related, but application on kumquat trees has shown good results: retaining soil richness, trees produce more and fragrant flowers, loaded with fruits and the fruits don't drop easily!

Banana application on desert rose (see 13:15)

I also have a post about making liquid potassium fertilizer if you'd want a look later. It's also from bananas, but without a bad smell:

Liquid Potash Fertilizer for Flowering Plants: How to Make

Let’s see how to make liquid potassium fertilizer from bananas, both meat & peels. We’ll base our process on the GE-making process. It’s really easy to do. Let’ jump in on the fun. First, we need to prepare a few different ingredients: Ingredients: * 2 bananas * 100 gr / half cup sugar * 1L

Zenyr GardenZenyr Garden

Thanks for checking by! See you again next time.

My neighbor gave me a beautiful desert rose about 10 inches tall as a memorial to a loved one who passed. She said they can survive infrequent watering, which I am guilty of. I put it on my screened porch that gets afternoon sun here in hot hot Florida. After 3 months all the leaves fell off, so I started weekly waterings of moderate amounts. It slowly started growing new leaves. I thought it needed more sun so I put it on my front porch with no screen and morning sun. It quickly recovered and grew beautiful with modest weekly water and some fertilizer. I just went out to tend to it...and all the leaves have fallen off. What the heck? Is it too hot here? Our Fla. temps have been around 100 all summer.

--> Hi, thanks for your question. From what you've described, it does seem quite strange. May I ask though, how is the overall plant? How does it look? How does it feel like (soft / hard)? Before the leaves fell off, did you notice any discoloring / yellowing of the leaves? Is the sun really really harsh in the afternoon in Fl? I am guessing, since fall is nearly here, the sun may be low in the sky and the sunlight could be quite strong. If you've checked all the other boxes (no green worms chewing leaves, no root rotting, no root fungi), then I'm leaning towards the possibility of the heat or temp. It could also be related to the variety. As one reader has shared with us a plant in a very hot climate similar to yours in Fl. It could possibly take some time to adapt to its new home (direction of sunlight?) perhaps. I would just note though to spare it the sunlight at the hottest time of day (this could be noon or so in your area). If the trunk and other parts of the plant feel quite firm, then usually chances of recovery are there. The green leaves will sprout out. I would possibly leave the plant out in the sun, with bright, light light not scorching or too harsh. Keep monitoring the plant and keep us posted if you'd like :) I hope this gives you some ideas.

P.S. You could possibly try shade cloth. Not directly related but somewhere in CA or so, dragon fruit plants are aborting flowers for fruiting due to the extremely high heat. Many growers are ranting about this in a group post I've read.

(Update): Hey 👋 Just wanted to check in how is your plant doing so far?

I have had my desert rose a couple of years. It has never bloomed. And now the causes feels hollow! What do I need to do?

--> Hi, thanks for asking and sharing. May I ask though, what is the weather like in your area? Usually, desert roses need some 6-8 hrs of sunlight a day and will bloom with good sunlight. Also, is there good nutrients in the soil? One idea that popped up in my head is: You could possibly try grafting. That is, cut a piece from the branch of your desert rose and graft it on the branch of another (that is if you have another desert rose). Have you also tried:

• Checking the soil to see if there is any fungi
• Checking if the caudex or the plant has been soaked in water for some time?

I remember having seen a case of hollow on a side of the caudex in one of my desert roses. From vague memory, it could possibly be that it has been soaked in rain water outside. The fungi might have housed themselves there, enjoyed the party and eaten that part up.

... For now these are some ideas I could think of. I'm not sure if it helps pinpoint the problem for you. But do have a look and see if anything is applicable. Keep us posted. I hope this helps!

Hello, please help with my desert rose…it belonged to my cousin who has since passed away, and so any help would be appreciated since it’s the one part I have of her. I got it in September, and it pushed out a couple new small leaves. Got mealy bugs for a while, I treated those. They seemed to cause some brown spots which I trimmed off. Then noticed it wasn’t getting enough light (it sits on south window sill but does not get a lot of direct light still) so I got a grow light that I run 8 hours as well. Water only about every 3-4 weeks. After grow light, seems like it is trying to grow a flower? But then leaves got worse, they are turning yellow. I was afraid of spider mites from plant across the house which has them, so I treated with neem oil mixture. Yellowing continued, thought maybe it was a nitrogen deficiency, so I water with fertilizer. That was Sunday (3 days ago). Now, leaves are turning brown more aggressively and still yellowing. Stem seems pretty hard, but I feel like I was letting soil dry out completely between watering and then waiting even more time. Now, I don’t know what to do and am so sad…I cannot lose this plant. Please help!

--> Hi, thank you for your question. May I ask, how far away is it from the grow light to the plant? I am not entirely sure which one cause it is to pinpoint it for you, but I may share with you some feelings I have regarding the situation. I'm also wondering, how strong is the grow light or what's the intensity that you set it up? Has the plant been getting both sun and grow light? How are you watering the plant? Do you mist the leaves or do you pour water into the soil? When do you water it (at what time of day usually)? How long has the soil been there? And has the plant been in the same pot since you first got it?

Just a couple of thoughts: Could it be that it is getting a little bit too much light? Sometimes, the plant leaves turn yellow (some people call it chlorosis I believe) in response to too much light that it's getting. In a way, it's like the plant putting on sunscreen or shades for itself. I'm not very familiar with grow lights in general, but it seems like that one you have in the picture might be a little bit on the close side (to the desert rose, I guess). I might be wrong about this. However, honestly speaking, in one of the close-up pics, one of the leaves does look kind of like it has been softly 'steamed'. So I guess it could be the hot temp / harsh light (just my feeling really) and hopefully it's one sort of direction you could have a look into it.

How is the drainage? When you're watering the plant, did you notice any droplets remaining on the leaves? Because those brown spots, on the side of the leaf surface, do look like they have been slightly burned (as with the case with some of my baby desert rose seedlings). Water droplets + hot sun = burned brown spots. So you could make sure just to mist lightly or (you've probably known this) just to water at cooler times of day like early morning or late afternoon. And when you're using liquid fertilizer, also make sure to spray it during cooler times of day. As the fertilizer has heating properties, together with the temperature, it could cause a burning to the leaves (I remember having heard someone talk about the heat issue of spraying fertilizer directly on the leaves during hot hours or something somewhere, but let me check that again). Have you also checked the drainage? The pot does look a little bit small from here. Could it be that the plant is root-bound? Has it been getting other nutrients? Flowering often means it's sucking up quite a lot of nutrients and the soil might need a bit of a boost up after that.

Did you get this plant as a cutting? Is there a bulb (or caudex) underneath? Although the leaves do look quite sad, the stem of the plant looks really good and green and healthy from here.

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