Well that's different isn't it? Never come across one of those before. I like it too:-)

Gill

Edit, was just about to ask what colour flowers it had, saw the name 'Sapphire' in your post....don't suppose this is the elusive 'blue Adenium' is it? Seems an odd name otherwise?!

I'm almost sure it will bloom pink, Gill. It was advertised for the color of its leaves and had no mention of the bloom color. A cursory search revealed that this is what is known in Thailand as Nila Kaan. I've been eyeing this variety for a while but I had too many already.

Pagan

Pagan, red leaves make the plant pretty without the blooms, when it blooms, it is even better.

Marie

I agree, Marie. I lost more adeniums this spring than I have ever lost before. So, I got this plant to comfort me in my loss. And that's the story I'm sticking to lol

Pagan

Of course I remember, you temptress lol That's what reminded me I wanted to get one. Okay that's better story---Tracy twisted my arm to get one!

Pagan

Pagan, wow, that's kind of psychedelic. ;-) I like it.

I hope I won't have to nuke this with chemicals just to keep it red.

Nice plant. The leaf color alone is all it needs.

Rick

But you have red leaves again now, Trace?

Yes ma'am. And red blooms are forming.

Oh good. I don't want to have to deal with special care.

...'cause Pagan does not go down that road but instead, torments her plants. ;-) I used to torment, pillage and enslave but that was back in the good old pre-historic Viking Ages - before adeniums were known to men and women. Sorry. I am tired... ;-)

I wouldn't bet on that one, Viking. Adeniums are native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. By the time Vikings appeared in Europe, that region was already doing algebra, invented cubism and by the 11th century, Omar Khayyam has already written the Rubaiyat. They probably did not have Nila Kaan though.

Sleep.

Well, it was a descendant of the vikings, the Swedish (and half Finnish?) botanist Peter Forsskål who in 1761 embarked on the great expedition to Arabia Felix/"The Happy Arabia"/"Det Lykkelige Arabien" financed by the Danish King. Forsskål et al. initially described the species Adenium obesum (well, Forsskål named et Nerium obesum). ;-)

And if of any interest to you guys, the actual type specimen or holotype of A. obesum is stored safely only 5 miles from here in the botanical museum. This is the original specimen used to describe the new species for the first time. And therefore, you are all obligated to travel to Copenhagen to pay homage to this relic/artifact:

http://www.daim.snm.ku.dk/digitized-type-collection-details-simple?catno=C10002638

Sleep. ;-)

"initially described the genus Adenium" to Europeans. As you know, African hunters have been using the plant to poison the tips of their spears long before that. ;-)

NO! Multiflorum, not obesum. ;-)

Ah, well, I admit I am defeated. The Africans or Arabs probably did find the plants before the Europeans. ;-)

Wow, Martin. That botanical garden has an endangered species greenhouse. And some animal specimens from the Philippines in the zoological museum, for some reason. And there's a geological museum! My inner nerd is showing.

Pagan, that is true. The garden is the reason I got interested in caudiciforms and pachycaul plants - and of course in adeniums. ;-) There is a large collection of such plants and spectacular specimen! I think I will go there this Sunday and take some snap shots.

The zoological museum is quite old. I think around 350 years and one of the oldest in Europe. One of its attractions is the dodo skull - one of only two in the world. I would rather see a live one. ;-)

I love the leaf color. Very unique!

I think you'll go there and take some snapshots too, Martin lol And now, we'll all be expecting it.

I was surprised, too, Susana. I thought it would look kind of sick, the way adeniums become discolored when stressed, usually from malnutrition. But it's a different kind of red tinge and there is a nice sheen to the leaves. The branches are lighter-colored, more yellow than green. It's a little more spindly than I like, but I'll give it until July before I prune it.

Pagan

I love the leaves. It is beautiful even without blooms.

So pretty!