Desert Rose

Adeniums are pachycaul (with thickened stems), succulent shrubs or trees, with a distinct swollen base (often called a caudex), much of which can be underground. Above ground the caudex can be almost globose to conical, narrowing before dividing into numerous irregularly spaced branches. (In mature specimens, a definite caudex is often no longer discernible.) Branches are smooth, grayish-green to brown, with small, terminal, spirally-arranged, glossy green leaves.