How to Harvest Adenium Seeds

If you’re looking for an eye-catching specimen that's tolerant of heat, drought and sun, look no further than Adenium obesum, commonly known as desert rose. This succulent is sure to draw attention with its fleshy, swollen base or caudex extending into multiple branches brimming with large, trumpet-shaped blooms. If you're lucky, some of these blooms may be pollinated, possibly producing seeds that you can harvest to start additional plants.

Native to portions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, desert rose performs best in frost-free locations, and the plant suffers damage when temperatures dip below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, but gardeners in cooler regions can grow it in containers and bring it indoors during winter. Just make sure you grow it in well-drained soil in a container with drainage holes, or the plant may die of root rot.

Desert rose is particularly well-suited for rock and succulent gardens, as well as xeriscaping.

Depending on the cultivar, desert rose flowers may be red, pink, white, or a combination of two colors and can be single, double or triple. Blooming occurs almost year-round, and six hours of full sun promotes the most blooms and the best chance of pollination and production of seedpods. A slow-growing plant, it takes years for desert rose to reach a mature height of approximately 5 feet.

When pruned, desert rose exudes a white sap that's toxic and causes allergic reactions in some people. Always wear gloves when pruning the plant.

If pollination occurs, the flowers drop off, revealing developing double seedpods. These twin green pods resemble two long horns and grow to about 4 inches in length. In warmer weather, it takes approximately 75 days before the seeds are ready to be harvested; in cooler weather, approximately 90 days.

Ripe, fully developed seedpods turn brown and when ready for harvesting, crack open to reveal a multitude of feathery seeds. Wait until the seedpods naturally split before harvesting them. This ensures that the seeds are fully ripe and have a better chance of germinating. Desert rose seedlings grow vigorously and may start producing blooms within 12 months from sowing. Only plants grown from seed will develop the above-ground swollen caudex the plant is known for.

Pruning shears

Alcohol

Rag

Container

Paper towel

Tweezers

Sealed container

Envelope

Sterilize your pruning shears before cutting the seedpods from the desert rose so you don't transfer disease to the plant. Simply wipe the blades off with a rag dipped in alcohol and allow them to dry before removing the pods.

Snip the double seedpods off at the small, 1/2- to 1-inch stem where they attach to the branch -- don't pull them off by hand. Using pruning shears assures a clean cut, while pulling them off may rip the branch. Place the seedpods inside a container so the feathery seeds don’t blow away.

Spread a paper towel on a flat surface and use clean tweezers to gently pull the feathery wings from each brown seed. The seeds are very small so after removing the wings, use tweezers to pick up the seeds and place them inside a sealed container or an envelope. Plant the seeds right away or store them in a dry, cool location, such as a refrigerator, for future planting.

Fresh desert rose seeds have a high germination rate, but they're generally viable up to a year with proper storage.

Germination occurs within approximately one week to one month after sowing.

Desert rose plants propagated from seed are genetically unique and will develop different shapes as they mature, with no two plants exactly alike.