Adenium socotranum Vierh.

Adenium socotranum is endemic to the island of Socotra (Soqotra). It is by far the largest species, reaching a height of 15 feet (4.6 m) with a cylindrical trunk up to 8 feet (2.5 m) in diameter at the base. It differs from all other species (except the Oman form of A. arabicum) in its very short growing season. Plants rarely leaf out before mid summer, and produce stem growth for only a few weeks. The pink flowers appear for a few weeks in spring while the plant is leafless. Its remote location, great size, and until recently unavailability in the trade has made it the holy grail of adeniums. However, it is overrated by collectors, because it is very slow growing and a seedling will take many decades to achieve impressive size in cultivation.

A one-year-old A. socotranum seedling in a 6-inch pot. This is quite large for such a young plant; this species is slow. Photo: John Lucas	Two-year-old A. socotranum seedlings in 4- and 6-inch pots. These are typical sizes for plants of this age.	Flower of the A. socotranum plant below.
Adenium socotranum seedlings at six years of age. These are two of the three plants at top center.	Adenium socotranum flowering for the first time at 10 years age. The plant was beheaded three years earlier to make it branch.	Adenium socotranum flowering for the first time at 10 years age. The plant is three feet (one meter) tall, and is the left plant in the image at far left. .

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