My Adenium is not flowering

If your Adenium plant is not flowering the problem and solution are actually very simple. The could be two reasons, insufficient light (plants need at least 6 to 8 hours’ full sun daily) or the more common reason the plant is to pampered!

There are a number of species of Adenium including Adenium obesum, which is the most common landscaping form found in the GCC – the Desert Rose.

Most Adenium species are native to north Africa and Arabia and are all succulent in nature and able to live in very poor, or nutrient depleted soils.

As such, they get very little rain in their natural habitat, perhaps between 200 and 400 mm per year This is the equivalent of between 500ml and 1000ml of water per day on average – bearing in mind this would fall within a very short winter season with nothing over the summer at all; the plants are therefore very adapted to not only surviving, but also thriving in this type of environment.

So, when you plant your Desert Rose (container or open garden) and start watering it with 4 or 5 liters of water per day and feeding it with compost or fertilizer it’s in biological heaven and will produce as much leafy growth as it can, so it can store away the water and nutrients in its fleshy trunk and branches for leaner times. Generally, this will result in growth which is soft, rubbery and elongated or thin.

Most plants flower in order to produce seed to preserve or extend their lineage/ range, if they are "happy" they don't do this and their energy goes into producing and storing food and water.

The easiest way to induce flowering is to stress the plant (by withholding water), it’s then “fooled” to believe it’s under threat and produces flowers in order to produce seed. Adenium can go literally weeks without water even in summer; reducing your watering to once every 3 days (even temporarily), should be sufficient to induce flowering. Some plants need a lot of care and attentions, others thrive on neglect!

Remember for the best results, the plant is a succulent, don’t overwater or over fertilize it.