Adenium "obesum" occurs in southeastern Kenya, eastern Tanzania, and northeastern Mozambique. The specific epithet is enclosed in double quotation marks because it's an incorrect name. See the nomenclature issues page for explanation.

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Cultivated plants of Adenium "obesum" are usually  spreading shrubs with weak branches that tend to droop. Some selected cultivars are upright. Most plants have poorly developed caudexes, but a few will produce big ones with time.

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The flowers are the largest in the genus, typically 2 to 3 inches in diameter, and some cultivars exceed 4 inches. Petal color of wild plants is usually pink on the margins, gradually fading to white at the white or yellow throat. Modern cultivars display a wide range of brilliant colors, some with little or no fading toward the center. Flowering peaks in spring, with a smaller peak in autumn. The best cultivars are nearly everblooming.

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​Nectar guides in the throat are usually faint or absent. The anther appendages extend to the edge of the throat or a little beyond.

 

This is the only species that does not have a requisite winter dormant period; it can grow year round under tropical conditions. Even if dried out in winter, it tends to remain evergreen.

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Adenium "obesum" and its hybrids are the most common adeniums in cultivation. They have been highly selected, and are now available in a wide range of colors, including white, purple, red, and yellow. There are also bicolors, double flowers,  and mutants with variegated or colored leaves. See the gallery of superior cultivars for examples of modern varieties.