AusBonsai

Hi forum, just hoping to get some feedback on "desert Rose" as a bonsai subject, can't seem to find anything on the entre forum about them, is there a reason for this? Are they a beginners bonsai/hated species etc...keen to hear your thoughts as I recently saw a few nice specimens.
Cheers
Angus

Lots of views but no replies...have I spoken the unspeakable???

Hi Isitangus

Yes I had a look but no nothing about desert rose so no good me given you any advice but good luck with it & if you like the desert rose why not give it a go & post some photo's as you go so we can see how it progresses

Regard's The Hacker

HI Isitangus,

Desert Rose can be used as bonsai, if you google "Desert rose bonsai" or "Adenium bonsai" you'll get lots of stuffs.
Personally I have not yet giving it a try because its WAY too expensive to buy in mauritius - sometimes 10x more expensive than a typical plant to be used as bonsai depending on the nurseries.

Desert Roses [ aka Adenium ] are succulent plants - much like "Portulacaria" var behaves differently as compared to the other trees.

The roots are generally the most impressive, followed by the taper.
The branches and foilage is less impressive in most examples i've seen.

It does not take much to make an Adenium bonsai, just take one and place it in a bonsai pot.
You wont be able to bo much about the wiring, and it would be better to go at a clip / grow method to get the foilage.


That's about it...

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=deser ... 09&bih=564





http://www.chinesebonsaigarden.com/dese ... nsai-tree/

I had one for several years until we had a wet summer year before last. it only took one week of rain for it to rot even though it was in a well-draining medium. It looked alright until I touched it and my finger went straight through the trunk - one week.
Penny.

Been there, bought a couple back from Darwin. One frost and both were dead. Not recommended for Victoria unless you have a hot house.

Looked at some desert rose bonsai pics and it inspired me. Bought this one for an indoor bonsai in the winter and outdoor for summer.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/160763483717 ... 1497.l2649

There were many of these over in vietnam. Look very cool... Just like a miniature frangipani tree. Most of them were around the 1m mark.. Some smaller. I did see some with wire too. I'll see if I can dig up some pics from the trip. Wanted to try one but non in Sydney. Guess only up north.

A member in our club (Rockhampton) grows a lot of Adeniums. He has some that are 55cm across the base, very beautiful. Tis is one I have photo taken November 2010. Have added a few more branches and compacted it a bit since then. Its about 20cm across the base. chris

I've grown them in Sydney for several years.
All from seed that is readily available.

Rot is the big enemy!
I bring all of mine inside after Easter and put them in the sunniest spot I can find.
NO WATER. Yes, the leaves will wither, brown and drop but you won't get rot.
I then bring them out in September and water sparingly until the hot weather arrives.

This technique works but I still lose a few to rot. I certainly wouldn't try them in anywhere cooler than Sydney.

I don't grow them as bonsai - just a nice flowering plant.

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback re desert Rose, interesting how susceptible to rot they are, I'll have to make sure when I find one to keep it well away from my other bonsai. And into the greenhouse it'll go to avoid the Camden frost (1° yesterday morn)
Only prob is finding stock, heaps of seeds on eBay, other difficult to find basic
Nursery stock of them.

I'm from Tas and we had a few Adeniums available through one of our bunnings stores close to Hobart $5.95. I'll look at the lable of the one I picked up when i get back home tonight to see if it has any nursery contact information. Its in a square 2inch pot at the moment. treated with care out of the weather and watering only when extreamly dry should keep it alive.
The ones in the cactus glass house at work do ok through the winter, provided they dont have wet feet for prolonged times. Sometimes they aren't watered throughout their dormant period at all.

Will have more info later.

Cheers,
Simon.

There have been a few stalls selling them at the Floral Festival at Kariong over the last several years. You can buy the plants in quite a few sizes with different coloured flowers and multi-grafted (different coloured flowers on the one plant) The festival is held at the beginning of September each year. The Central Coast Bonsai club has a great exhibition in one of the marquees too.
Penny.

The Nursery lable on the pot is from collectors corner

http://www.collectorscorner.com.au/
Gardenworld, 810 Springvale Road Braeside VIC 3173
(03) 9798 5845

Hope this helps.
They also have plants for sale via ebay too