Desert rose

[StephOx]

Planted this from seed a while ago maybe a year or two? What do I do about all the leaves at the caudex? Will these disappear and when will flowers arrive?

[Nick_G]

As the branches grow the caudex sill become barer and less leafy. You could cut most of the branches off if you don't like them but they might just regrow.

It'll flower in a few years if you give it enough light, maybe sooner.

[StephOx]

Okay thank you. I’ve seen people train them. How soon can this be done? Also how do they get the roots on show do you just take the soil away every so often?

[Terry S.]

I wonder if this is desert rose: Adenium obesum? It has the look of Pachypodium saundersii to me. Either way, it seems to take a while to flower seed-raised material. You do not need to do any training, just let the plant do its own thing.

The best A. obesum that I have is a vegetatively propagated cultivar 'Anouk' produced in large numbers by a Dutch wholesale nursery. It does not have the thick trunk of seed-raised material but it flowers like mad right through the summer.

[MikeDom]

I thought it looked similar as well Terry, but I can't see any spines on the trunk which appears to be smooth. Below a picture of my P. saundersii for reference.

[Nick_G]

Yes, you're right Terry, i didn't really look at the photo as it was sideways on, and I agree with you, leave it to do it's own thing. Some people advocate beheading saundersii to promote a thicker caudex but I've not tried it with my two youngish plants.