Product Description

Adenium obesum - A necessary plant for those that collect caudiciforms (swollen trunks), or uncommon succulents. Adenium obesum is slow growing and thick stemmed with a smooth trunk that becomes very swollen and somewhat contorted with age. Adenium obesum known for its carmine-rose flowers and unique trunk. Always in great demand. A unique genus from Madagascar which develops a fleshy swollen trunk and is often with contorted woody stems. Deciduous leaves are obovate, glossy green. Slow growing, arid tropical. Not a common plant. It does best with lots of sun and allowed to go dry between waterings. It makes a fantastic bonsai!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5926 in Lawn & Patio
• Brand: Hirts: Seed; House Plant

Features

• It does best with lots of sun and allowed to go dry between waterings.
• Slow growing and thick stemmed with a smooth, swollen trunk
• Known for its carmine-rose flowers
• A unique genus from Madagascar
• 10 Seeds per pack

Customer Reviews

Caution!!!
I bought seeds and not one came up. If seed is old germination rate goes down. I have plants from seed purchased from seedtrack and 90% took. I contacted Hirt's and nothing was done. I was sent a list of questions as to how I planted,water type, temp and light. I responded correctly. I have 40 years experience and do not make mistakes. I research thoroughly.
All I asked was that he replace the seeds and after answering his questions he never got back to me. Also purchased pachypodium seeds. Instruction for planting was incorrect. I have not seen one of these come up either. I will never deal with this person again. Beware!!!

Ok success
Each pack is a small recloseable bag with 10 seeds and a slip of paper with instructions. The instructions, while accurate, are very minimal and could apply to many different seeds. "A well draining seeding mixture" and "Water when nearly dry" are vague to me. How well draining and how near to dry? And it failed to state how long before germination takes place. I had decent luck, 3 seeds sprouted 9 days after planting. These three have noticeable growth each day and are doing very well. A fourth seemed to have tried but the root turned black before it could do more than split the seedcoat. The other 6 are unchanged from how they were before planting. I can't say why they did not germinate. It could be their age because the cat oat-grass seeds I bought from the same company at the same time came in a paper envelope like those found at a store and were dated for this past growing season. However, I made my purchase in December and the cold may be a greater factor.
I am fine with my three sprouts, but you may not be or you may not have the same semi-success I had. If you simply want a plant don't bother with trying to grow it from seed, you can buy an adult plant. If you are really into starting from seed like I am, I recommend getting 2 packs like I did (I didn't start the second yet) so you will have a greater chance of getting seedlings. Or try a different supplier.
No matter what you should research these plants first. Better understanding of them can lead to better success. Also, they have a sap which can irritate and be poisonous; don't get something just cause it had pretty flowers.
For reference, I planted them in a sterile, half perlite half potting soil mix in a clay pot since I read that they easily rot and grow molds and fungi. The soil was saturated with water before placing the seeds and misted before it could really be called dry. They were kept under a 60W incandescent grow bulb, 6 inches away, for both heat and light with a 12 hour cycle. The seeds were kept shallow, I could see parts of them through the dirt covering. I have started to let the soil dry a bit more between watering now that they have roots but these roots do not go very far down. The seed coat seemed a bit stubborn when they were ready to come off so I kept them moist and brushed them off once the leaves came free on their own. If any future reviewers have success with this or a different method please list it, it will be more helpful than Hirt's basic ones.