Can you root the branches?

never thought of it but it's worth a try!! What steps would I take? Let them dry a bit? Rootone wet? What mix?

Adenium cuttings can be rooted. Cuttings should be dipped in rooting hormone and placed in a well-drained rooting medium (such as Perlite) and kept watered. Results are better in an enclosed area of high humidity. You can simply drape some plastic wrap over the pot of cuttings.

an image of the rotted belly of the plant.... as I'm taking cuttings.

You might have to pay close attention actually as to how far this travels up into the stems?

If the tissue is that bad, unless it has good sap running, cuttings may not take. I know grafts from a plant such as this would not take.

Sorry to see this, John.

Rick

Sap seemed to be running and no hint of brown but I realize the plant has issues. Heck, it was in the trash can before Marica advised doing some cuttings...... ;-)

Good luck this the cuttings. That was really bad rot.

Hope you didn't pay too much for it John...

Lowes has a guarantee on plants. You could've returned it. I returned a dead plant one time. They called the plant guy out and he lifted up the plastic and said "yes it's dead" like a coroner. It was a $300 tree!! I had to take it back.. If it was $10 I wouldn't have endured the situation.

It was $15 and I just couldn't imagine walking in with a totally dissected plant.... ;-) I'm not sure that they would have understood that the condition was fatal considering how beautiful the plant was.

I understand. It is quite embarrassing.. But $300. I had to do it. I would hate for them to say "well sir if you hadn't cut the bottom off maybe it wouldn't have died!!"