Is it a bonsai, a tree, a succulent or a flower? These are some of the questions that lovers of this plant constantly ask our gardener Carol Costa. The desert rose is one of the most popular on the Minhas Plantas website and drives first-time gardeners crazy to get a specimen just like the ones in the photos on Instagram and Pinterest. Now, our plant lover shows in this complete dossier about the desert rose all the techniques and tricks for growing and maintaining this beloved tree (yes, it grows to 4 meters!). The video was recorded in the greenhouses of Terra Viva, the largest producer of desert rose in Brazil. Originally from the African continent, from several countries in the Arabian Peninsula, the desert rose (Adenium obesum) is a delight for those who love plants, bonsai and flowers. There are 11 different species of Adenium, all of them grown and distributed by Terra Viva, directly from Holambra. The plant needs a lot of time and the right cultivation to reach the hands of desert rose lovers with that look we want: looking like a mini-tree, with a thick trunk and full of flowers. Carol Costa learned the techniques shared by professionals from Terra Viva about growing this plant and now, she shares them with us. The name didn't come out of nowhere: this is a desert plant. The desert rose lives happily where other species wouldn't even be able to survive for a few days. Poor, sandy soil, very little water and even some sandstorms. And don't think that Adenium obesum suffers: with intense sunlight all day long, the plant flowers and develops slowly, storing energy when it can to grow robustly and with that chubby trunk that looks like a baobab - by the way, the desert rose is also called false baobab or mini baobab, but it has no relation to this gigantic tree. Knowing the origin of the plant, you can now understand that there is no point in filling the substrate with fertilizer, watering it too much or spoiling it with care and protection. Desert rose needs a very well-drained substrate, with guaranteed drainage of excess water and sun on its head for a long time. A good composition for the plant requires half substrate for seedlings (Carol Costa uses All Garden substrate for seedlings) and the other half sand. You can grow it in pots, like the example in the video, a pot from the Seixos line by Vasart, but make sure it has holes – make more than one. Overwatering is one of the main causes of desert rose losses, along with over-fertilization and lack of sunlight. In fact, you can have a beautiful plant indoors, as long as you choose a place that gets the most sun. Stick the plant in the window, don't leave it next to or below the glass. It's not about light or heat: what the desert rose needs is sunlight on its body. She will repay you with flowers. One of the most controversial issues, especially for those who are just starting out in gardening, is pruning. The producers of Terra Viva showed how they can get a plant that looks like a mini-tree and Carol tells us what the perfect combination is: patience and pruning. Want to know more about pruning and the most common problems? Below is the link to the Minhas Plantas website, so you can read the rest of this text. The dossier is so long that it doesn't fit in the YouTube description! https://minhasplantas.com.br/tv/sol-f... An interesting fact: the sap of the desert rose is toxic, so much so that in the Sahara, a mixture is prepared with the leaves of the plant and this liquid is used to make a poison to kill lice on camels! You can also fight slugs and snails in your garden with this formula: one part (healthy) desert rose leaves and 10 parts water. Avoid using this technique if you have small children or pets in your home. By the way, if you have little ones at home, it's a good idea to keep the plants away from little hands that are just discovering the world or from pets that love to smell (and eat) what they shouldn't. Desert rose producer: Terra Viva ( / grupo.terraviva ) Thanks: Veiling Holambra - / veilingholambra All Garden - / all_garden_holambra Vasart - / vasart_vasos Materials vase from the Seixos line (Vasart) substrate for seedlings (All Garden) propolis extract Costume: Simultânea blouse scarf from Jardim Botânico Plantarum necklace from Studio Drê Magalhães sneakers Outer Shoes Links: Recipe against mites and whiteflies • No more MITES and WHITEFLY on plants... Homemade detox recipe for plants: • Homemade detox recipe for plants... Continuation of the desert rose manual: https://minhasplantas.com.br/tv/sol-f...