Hi Kate: As Rick said it is not a seed grow or a grafted based on the image. The trunk indicates that is from a cutting so the caudex of the adenium is apparent. Many times when when a person does do too much (fertilization, pesticide, etc.) it will cause the adenium plant to go into shock and will take a few months to recover (loose leave, not grow much , etc.). Also, when you fertilize make sure you use time release very low nitrogen fertilizer (1..2 a year at the most) The sunlight through the shade is not enough for the desert rose plant it's too filtered. Either open the shades to get more light or get a grow light (Led grow lights work well). If you can re-pot the adenium now and I would use a shallow wide pot and force the roots to spread just below the top of the soil to start to make the caudex to grow. The pot you are using is too deep for the to grow the adenium well. Here is a link that might be useful: AdeniumRose Company

Bumble, try the soil squeeze test first if you haven't yet done so...if you get the result I think you will get and decide to re-pot, I would go for it now, the sooner the better....just my thoughts anyway. Radovan, if it works for you and yours, who am I to dispute that? There are always some things that defy the so called 'rules', lol! Mine also grow better when they are watered regularly...they get a thorough drink every couple of days or so (during the growing season only)as they are confined to a greenhouse as our temps are not good enough to grow them outside here in the UK. Must also mention that in winter if the plants go dormant and leafless they need little if any water so treat as you would a cactus. However during summer when in leaf and in active growth they can and will take up more water than you think, so treat as a tropical as long as the soil is not constantly waterlogged.....and cold at the same time. What I'm getting at is wet(within reason) and warm is OK, wet and cold is a BIG no-no. Gill from the UK. Here is a link that might be useful: useful adenium info

Have a question. I have four large desert rose plants. Two of them produced two seed pods two years ago. Last year the same two produced three. This year I just discovered I have two pods on one and eleven (11) on one that has not produced pods before. They have all just started. Is it possible all eleven on the one plant will have viable seeds in each pod. And no I do not grow the for a nursery or anything like that. These are in my back yard. Thanks, Tanya

My Desert Rose is 25 years old. Is it common for them to stay alive that long? It does not like to be watered any more than once or twice a month. It punishes me with yellow leaves that drop off if I do so. It produced delicate fushcia pink blooms this year. It is one of the few plants that I move indoors if temps are predicted to be lower than 45 degrees but otherwise it sits on my patio which is on the south side of my house. On occasion I have had to prune cold-damaged parts but it sprouts right back. It hasn't been repotted in years and I'd like to do so but I fear I'd kill it so I've left it alone.