Garnet Dusk Desert Rose Bulbs

Adenium obesum — Garnet Dusk. The darkest red in the collection without going fully black: garnet petals with a lighter throat and a dusting of pale speckling in the centre. In strong sun the whole head lights up red; in shade it closes down to near-black, which is exactly why it photographs so well against a pale pot. The caudex is the pale grey-green type, with roots that lift clear of the soil line.

What you get

• Dormant bare-root caudex with raised roots and a pale, swollen trunk.
• Flowers the first season once nights stay above 60°F / 15°C.
• One plant per bulb ordered — each a separate caudex, never a divided clump.

How to start it

• Pot: a light-coloured bowl makes the dark flowers pop. Free-draining mix: 50% cactus soil, 30% pumice, 20% coarse sand.
• Water: none for the first week, then soak-and-dry. A dark-flowered plant is no more thirsty than a pale one.
• Light: 6+ hours of direct sun for the red to come out; shade keeps it almost black.
• Cold: USDA 10–12; indoors above 50°F / 10°C, water once a month at most in winter.

Expect the first flush to open darker than the photo and brighten over the following weeks. Ships dormant and bare-root, wrapped in dry sphagnum. 5–7 working days to dispatch, 8–25 working days in transit.