An Adenium Website
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Adenium "arabicum" Balf. f.
Adenium "arabicum" occurs in a narrow strip along the southwestern coast of the Arabian peninsula. The specific epithet is enclosed in double quotation marks because it is an incorrect name. See the page on Nomenclature Issues for details.
Plants in cultivation are almost all spreading shrubs with huge, squat caudexes (but see the section on wild variation below). They are usually vigorous and can grow to several feet tall and wide in 10 years with generous culture. Stems are sturdy and upright or ascending. Foliage is quite variable in size and shape, but are usually recognizable by aficionados of the genus. Leaves may be shiny-smooth or softly hairy; this trait has no taxonomic relevance. Compact and dwarf plants exist in cultivation and in the wild.
Flowers are usually 1.5 to 2 inches wide, with petals varying from narrow and pointed (star-shaped flowers) to broad and overlapping (circular flowers). Flowers are almost invariably some shade of pink at the margins and fading to white at the throat. The throat is white or yellow, with or without nectar guides. The anther appendages extend to the edge of the throat or a little beyond.
Most plants flower profusely in spring before leafing out. Large plants tend to be evergreen. Some varieties flower mainly in summer, and selected clones also flower sporadically throughout the year.
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Adenium "arabicum" 'Yemeni Giant', 3 years old in 12-inch pot. They can grow even faster.
Flower of Adenium "arabicum" plant at left .
An Adenium "arabicum" with star-shaped flowers
Adenium "arabicum" 'Sheila Collenette' from Saudi Arabia. This plant is in the ground under a fiberglass roof. It had just survived a few nights of 22° F (-5° C) with only minor tip damage. The plant is 8 years old with a caudex more than a foot wide.
Adenium "arabicum" 'Sheila Collenette' from Saudi arabia, same plant as one at left flowering a year later. This plant has glabrous leaves; these are found scattered among the more common hairy-leafed plants.
Adenium "arabicum" from Jebel Shada, Saudi Arabia. This plant was the fastest growing in a batch of seedlings. It is 11 years old in a 42-inch pot; the caudex is almost 3 feet across.
Adenium "arabicum" flower on a plant from Jebel Shada, Saudi Arabia. This one lacks nectar guides.
Adenium "arabicum" 'Hansoti Dwarf' has reddish flowers. This clone has been in cultivation in India since at least the 1930s. It most likely originated on the Aden Peninsula, the type locality for A. "arabicum".
Adenium "arabicum" flower with dark color.
Left: Adenium "arabicum" grows large enough to make splendid landscape plants in tropical climates, such as this one in Florida USA. Photo: Ray Lemieux
"Thai socotranum" & other dwarf A. "arabicum"
Adenium "Thai socotranum", also called "Thai soco", are not related to Adenium socotranum. They are in fact dwarf forms of A. "arabicum" bred in Asia. They are extremely popular, and there are many named varieties.
The names of Thai soco plants are treated as cultivars, but they are probably not. They are defined by their physical forms that are created not only by their genetics, but largely by how they are groomed (pruned and trained) to look like miniature examples of wild Adenium socotranum (Ashish Hansoti, written communication). Thus the names are more like the terms that define bonsai styles.
There are dwarf populations and isolated individuals of A. "arabicum" in nature. There are also dwarf cultivars that were developed outside of Asia. See below and the superior cultivars page.
Left: Adenium "arabicum" 'Petch Na Wan' was purchased as a small seedling in 2009. Far left: plant at 14 years old. Near left: 22 years old. Not pruned or trained.
Right: Adenium "arabicum" 'Golden Crown' was purchased as a small seedling in 2003. Shown at 17 years old, not pruned or trained.
Left: Adenium "arabicum" 'MAD967' is a seedling from 'Petch Na Wan, shown at 10 years old. Not pruned or trained.
Right: Adenium "arabicum" 'MAD965' is a seedling from the Thai soco 'Petch Ban Na' crossed with the wild collected 'Hansoti Dwarf', shown at 10 years old. Not pruned or trained.
Left: Adenium "arabicum" 'Arbolito' is a seedling from 'RCN' ('Queen of a Thousand Flowers'), which is a huge plant. Most of the seeds I grew were big plants, but one became this miniature tree; it's 2 feet tall at 11 years old. Not pruned or trained.
Adenium "arabicum" in the wild
This gallery shows some of the huge variation that is found in wild A. "arabicum".
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Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette April 1995.
Adenium "arabicum" , an arborescent specimen in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
Adenium "arabicum" near Talalah, Saudi Arabia. This is a high elevation form dwarfed by freezing temperatures. The stems don't extend beyond the protection of the overhanging rock. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
An arborescent Adenium "arabicum" in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
A beautiful Adenium "arabicum" tree near Haqw (between Muhayl and Ad Darb, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
Several plants of Adenium "arabicum" growing on a rock outcrop near Lejib Gorge (Wadi Lajab), Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
A huge specimen of Adenium "arabicum" near Moraiwa, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
A huge Adenium "arabicum" near the base of Al Abna Descent, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
Above and below: Flowers of Adenium "arabicum" in Saudi Arabia. Photos: Sheila Collenette.
A huge tree of Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. This mountain has both shrubby and arborescent adeniums, as well as dwarf ones at high elevations where they are frost-pruned. Photo: Sheila Collenette.
Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Toni Yocum.
Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Toni Yocum.
Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb.
Above: Flowers of two Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Below: typical foliage of the species. Photos: Robert H. Webb.
Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007.
A 3-trunked Adenium "arabicum", intermediate form between shrub and tree. Near Al Mukalla, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb.
Adenium "arabicum" near Al Mukalla, central Yemen coast. At least 5 plants are visible in the center image. Inset: Flower from this locality. Photos: Robert H. Webb, December 2007.
Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007.
Toni Yocum with an Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. This population has many arborescent specimens. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007.
Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007.
Above: Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Soodah, Saudi Arabia. A fruit from one of these plants founded the Soodah Dwarf strain in cultivation. All of the seeds produced dwarf plants, even though there are arborescent plants nearby. Photo: Tom McCoy.
Right: Adenium "arabicum" collected as a tiny seedling on Jabal Shamsan, Aden Peninsula, Yemen, by John Lavranos #1694. This is the type locality of A. "arabicum".
