Adenium socotranum

[JustSayNotoCactus]

Hello everyone,

Last year I purchased a couple of Adenium socotranum from C&D (on the right in the photo) and I also purchased a couple from Plants out of Africa (pictured on the left.)

My question is this: Why do the grow so differently?

The plant from C&D on the right, and another socotranum from a different source (not pictured), seem to grow quite fast with leaf scars far apart on the stem. They also have slick waxy leaves with green veins and whitefly seem to prefer them.

The plant from Plants out of Africa on the left, in contrast, has leaf scars very close together, smaller more oval leaves covered in a fine fuzz, red veins, a more conical shaped stem, and whiteflies don't like it as much.

Might they come from different parts of the island, or just two radically different parents?

I have been told they should look like the ones from C&D, with a hemispherical caudex and very strait stem.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[tudedude]

I think just different growing conditions. The one on the left looks like it was placed under stronger light at some point in it's life. The compact "leaf scars" seem to indicate this. The longer leaves and further apart leaf scars on the one on the right indicate it was grown under more shade or lower light, and perhaps faster, than the other one. I'm pretty sure both will change and adapt to the new lighting and feeding regiment you will place them in.

[C And D]

We have many Adenium socotranum now.
and one we bought from Arid Lands many years ago is similar to your plant from "Out of Africa" with pink veins.

It's from a different seed stock.

The one you bought from me is from the same seed stock as the Huntington ISI pants.
They were commercially grown in the most optimal conditions and hence the wider leaves.

I cut the tops of a couple of them, down to about an inch over the caudex, and they have quickly produced numerous offsets at the cut.
So if want a more compact plant with lots of stems, cut it off as low as you dare.

[tudedude]

I cut the tops of a couple of them, down to about an inch over the caudex, and they have quickly produced numerous offsets at the cut.
So if want a more compact plant with lots of stems, cut it off as low as you dare.

That was a pretty gutsy move. Do you think it will grow faster now that it has more branches and leaves?

[C And D]

I don't know if they will grow faster, but it will for sure increase branching and bottom caudex girth.

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The one of the left is from Aridlands and has pink veins that may be hard to see

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