Desert rose plant?

Penne Johnson
by Penne Johnson

Why is my desert flower Getting black ink looking spots on its branches. I feed it with orchid food as recommended


  9 answers
  • It sounds like it has a fungal infection.

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Aug 19, 2020

    Hello. Could be a fungus, a stem rot? Here’s a link that might be helpful.


    https://adeniumrose.com/blog/common-desert-rose-adenium-problems-and-desert-rose-plant-rot/

  • Peggy L Burnette Peggy L Burnette on Aug 20, 2020

    Hi Penne, so sorry you are having problems with your desert rose. Hope this will helps you.

    Common Desert rose adenium problems and desert rose ...

    adeniumrose.com › blog › common-desert-rose-adeniu...


    Sep 2, 2012 - Fist, leaf rot in adeniums is the easy to treat. Just remove ... Desert rose plant stem root is caused by a fungus. It's the most common problem with adeniums. The adenium rot is either black, dark drown or yellow. ... They eat the outer layer of caudex and branches as well as hang out chewing holes in leaves.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Aug 20, 2020

    Hope this limk helps you, it has info on what environments is best and their care:


    https://blackgold.bz/what-is-causing-leaf-spot-and-drop-on-my-desert-roses/

  • usually that means some sort or fungus. Are you watering it too much?

  • Penne Johnson Penne Johnson on Aug 20, 2020

    Thanks so much to everyone for all your help. I read through all the links you gave me. I use a water meter for all my plants checking them often. I already lost one d. Rose and suspect with all the input that this one is doomed as well. I used cactus soil added sand and rocks to insure drainage. Looks like I may have to start over with new ones. I live in Camarillo, ca so near the ocean and they are house plants with bright indirect light from sky lites. I tried putting them out in a.m. for 4 hours but they didn’t do well after that. Sun was too hot. I plan on taking it out of pot and looking it over real well, and take it back where I purchased it. Thanks again all

  • Cynthia H Cynthia H on Aug 20, 2020

    Hi! I've heard this called Black Gold. Here's an article about it:


    https://blackgold.bz/what-is-causing-leaf-spot-and-drop-on-my-desert-roses/

  • Penne Johnson Penne Johnson on Aug 20, 2020

    Thanks so much. I did see something I believe on this site that told of using a diluted solution of water and peroxide, 1-5 dilution and it was something used for root rot mites and knots. I tried this on my one d. Rose that was showing the black spots on branches and just so everyone knows it didn’t help. The plant died a couple weeks later. My fear is the one I have left is headed down same path and I didn’t use it on that one. I’m trying to see this one today taking it out of planter to check and cut all black areas.

    thanks again to all of you for your help

  • Deb K Deb K on Aug 20, 2020

    Hello Penne, hope this helps you,The yellowing and black blotching and spotting on your desert rose (Adenium obesum) leaves is likely caused by the fungal disease, anthracnose leaf spot (Colletotrichum spp.). Yellowing of the leaves is caused in the early stages, and then they develop black spots and splotches and fall off.


    Try placing them away from any place where they will be subjected to rain and high humidity. An indoor sunroom or south-facing window would be ideal. Bottom water the plants sparingly (to keep water off of the leaves) and hope that this will tackle your leaf spot. In very severe cases, this disease can cause plants to die. Also, be sure to water these plant very little to none in winter to mimic the dry winter period in their native Africa and Arabia.