Hello Gill, I don't know the answer you are looking for, but it will interesting to see black caudex from your arabicums. Please keep us post on this subject.
I want to see it too.
marie

Gill,

I'm in the same boat as Marie - I've never heard of the black-skinned Adenium arabicum.

Oh I have heard of them and seen them..BUT most the time you will not get the black skin from ones grown from seed. From what I understand the black is rare to acrually duplicate.

Mary

Thanks for the replies guys! Mmmmh, oh well, seems like I will just have to grow them as best I can and see what happens. I will keep you posted on their progress. Have just found another place selling them and the info says 'they need intense sun for the black skin to develop' Guess mine will just have to stay pale and interesting then!! Their growth form is very different to the obesums though, having much wider stumpy caudex's with thin branches in a cluster sprouting from the top...see link below. I'll post some pics of mine in a week as we are off on holiday to Spain tomorrow...Yippee!
Regards, Gill from a damp, wet and foggy UK.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Pearl Ad. arabicum

That is very characteristic to the arabicums, they have a very nice wide fat caudex with multibranching form. They just get better with time.

Hey Gill, E-mail me

Gill,
All the seeds I planted of black pearl have not changed color. They must be five months old, are in a south window. Nothing.maybe they are too small yet.Have a good time in Spain
Sharon

Hi Helen, you have email.

Hello Sharon, all my seedling babies are doing well thanks and now live in the house for the winter, in a south window as yours are. Seems like they will probably have to put on some more growth and bulk before they start to turn black and show some of those typical arabicum shapes. We had a good break in Spain, nice to be back, so now feel ready to face the world again.
Regards, Gill.

Gill,
Did you find any great seeds or plants to bring back? All the seedlings I had, I have lost many to the cool temps in my house. I guess damping off? I hope half survive. Glad you had a good time on vacation.(holiday)
Sharon

Hi Sharon, didn't see many seeds for sale other than tourist type pkts of palms/cycad/strelitzia in the beach shops along the Paseo, and as I have several already I didn't purchase. No doubt there would have been more choice had we found the true gardening shops.

The only 'plant' I bought back were the 4 little snapped off pieces from underneath the Crassula I posted about a few days ago, it was such a lovely colour. Think they had been there for some time as they were rather dry and the ends were quite calloused over. Maybe knocked off by a clumsy dog trying to balance on 3 legs? lol!!

Sorry to read your babies are suffering, damping off is normally due to a combination of wet and warm....just the conditions the babies need to sprout and grow for a few weeks after germinating. Try to keep them on the drier side now theyre a little older as they can cope with cooler conditions if grown dry as opposed to cold and wet.

You have email btw, Gill.

It takes year for the caudex to start turning darker it doesnt happen over night.

To be honest Hans, I already knew it would take longer than overnight 😉. I’ve been growing adeniums since 2004. Those particular ones are dead now anway 🤣