Re: Adenium obesum and A. arabicum

Dear Bob,

Thanks for responding to my general query regarding Adenium and other Saudi Arabian indigenous plants.  I can tell you from my direct experience with having grown A. obesum in the past, that it is perfectly capable of taking cold for short periods of time, (3-4 hours during the night), down to 2/3/4 degrees centigrade without harm, and does quite well here in Riyadh where the night time temps in Dec, Jan, and Feb. regularly get down to 5/6/7/8 degrees.  The condition that it absolutely does require is that it get hot again during the day.  It never did very well for me as an indoor houseplant in the hottest sunniest spot I could give it, where it never got below 60 F nor above 85 F, yet it failed to really thrive.  I think the secret is that it needs high heat loads to perform, but can also take cooler temps in the winter.  I remember seeing it as a great looking potted plant in Singapore, and it also does quite well outdoors in San Diego, Ca! . ! ! ! left outside year round, and grows like a weed here in the desert.  The Adenium arabicum which grows here in the foothills of the Asir Mountains, I have not yet personally seen, so I can't say for sure what highs and lows it is subjected to.  If you know of anyone who is over here or has worked in Saudi Arabia, that would be great!  Thanks again 

Bob Kirk <reikirk@ksu.edu> wrote:

> I'd also be interested to know if anyone knows of sources for some of the
> indigenous species of Arabia, such as Adenium arabicum.....

You might try the adenium mailing list or any of several related lists
with links at
http://cactus-mall.com/mlist/mlist.html

I can't tell you anything about any of them, only know of adenium
because I've been several times invited to join it. Apparently on the
basis of a single usenet post so far back I can't make Deja find it; no
idea how they did.
And the essence of which was that for all the warnings in the literature
this (A. obesum, actually) was the >one< plant I've ever had die outright
from being exposed to temperatures below 50F/10C. But now that I'm reminded
of it, I'm sure there must have been references here or elsewhere to
adeniums growing at least in Southern California gardens. ! An! ! ! yone?


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