Nice plants and very nice roots for cuttings! You are lucky to have nursery that sells them!

It used to be that most adeniums were commercially produced by cuttings and rarely by seed. It's only in the past 20 years or so that's really changed, from what I have read. The majority of plants older than 20 years were started as cuttings (with some exceptions such as species), and 'branch grown' I gather is a style done from cuttings. They tend not to develop the big fax caudexes but in time do thicken the trunks nicely with somewhat finer, less fat roots.

This form is often preferred for more classical bonsai with a more traditional Japanese 'tree' look. More recently people have been favoring the very fat roots and caudex that is more natural to some varieties of adeniums, especially in China.

I like both, but I tend towards liking older 'branch grown' plants more since my background comes from bonsai first and adeniums secondly. Bit by bit I'm coming to appreciate the thicker, fatter styles as long as they don't look too bloated and blobby. Depends on what flavor interests you more. ;)

I should try rooting some cuttings myself now that my centipede root experiments have gone well. I only did a few but I want to explore many aspects. I hope your cuttings do well for you! They look like they are off to a great start so far. I assume they are obseums. Do you know what the flowers will be like?

Interesting info, Hyn Patty. I like both forms and had been thinking about pruning a branch or two on my largest adenium and wanted to try to root it, so I figured I'd get some already rooted cuttings...you know, for uh.."research purposes" :-)

You can see white flower buds on the single cutting (I don't have a white one, that I know of), but haven't seen one completely open. The flower buds were the reason I bought that plant, and the other was "2 for the price of one" so I figured it was a good deal.

I have enjoyed watching the progression of your centipede root experiments. I may try that with the cuttings I get from pruning my largest in a month or so.

Alas, I can't attest to how accurate the information I have read is, but I have stumbled upon it on more than one website in various forms without them sounding /too/ much like as though copied from the same sources. So it does seem likely.

If you try it, make sure it has plenty of time to grow nice and warm after to get new roots going as it will take a month or more for them to start. I assume your most active growing season is about to taper off so you may not have much time for a plant to recover and grow lots of roots back this late in the season. You will have to use your best judgement, or wait until next spring. I know that my heat will hold through September until about October (normally) but you are a lot further north than I am.

If you can grow on heat and good light indoors without dormancy, then timing may not be such an issue. Good luck!