DORSET HORN ADENIUM (Medusa)
I purchased this rare variety of the adenium from Century
plant nursery in Bangalore through online. Mr. Kranti Singh owner of the
nursery is a very knowledgeable person, who is a collector himself. When I
received the plant initially it was in a dormant state. No leaves, only branches.
It was delivered bare-rooted, without any soil.
I usually make my
own potting mix for my plants.
It comes cheaper and you can adjust it as per your plant's
need. I love to keep these adeniums in flat pots around 6-inch diameter. Too
deep pots will hold water and will cause root rot. Usually, to make the well-drained potting mix
I use 10 percent vermicompost, 5 percent bone meal, perlite 20 percent, pumice
stone 30 percent, rest is coarse sand or gravels.
I kept the plant in full sun for 8 hours and started
watering once weekly. After a month the first buds started appearing. I was
delighted to see the pink spots appearing. After another 15 days, the first
flower bloomed. There was no leaves only flowers blooming.
Another 2 months went past, the small tree-covered only
with flowers. My watering frequency has increased, now I give twice a week because the weather is warmer.
Once all the flowers started weathering, new leaves could
be seen, they are the classically curved leaves for which this plant is unique.
Now my plant is covered with green, shiny leaves. The only fertilizer I have given
is vermicompost.
Few interesting scientific data about the plant:
This is a very rare adenium found first in Taiwan. This
is a mutant variety of arabicum. The characteristic changes are seen in the
leaves. They are curved inwards like Rams or Dorset horn. So is the name. these
plants are small plants.
They go into dormancy during winter. During spring they start having flowers for 1-2 months without any leaves. Once the flowering season is over the curled leaves will appear for which they have their name.
They require full sun, well-drained soil, and less water.
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