Adenium obesum 'Mermaid' — Bubblegum Pink & Lime Green Throat Desert Rose Seeds

Adenium obesum 'Mermaid' is a dense, layered bloom built around a color transition you don't see often in obesum — bright bubblegum-to-coral pink petals fading inward through a crisp white ring into a glowing lime-green heart. That white-to-green throat is the whole point of this cultivar; it reads almost aquatic against the pink.

Flower Form
Multi-petaled, double-to-triple layered bloom with ruffled, frilly margins. A dense, full flower rather than a flat single — the layered structure builds out more as plants mature past their first bloom cycles.

Color
Vibrant bubblegum pink through the outer petals, fading inward to a pure white throat ring, anchored by a lime-green center eye. Individual plants will show some variation in color saturation and exactly how sharp that white-to-green transition reads, which is normal for a hand-pollinated hybrid line.

Caudex & Growth Habit
Classic obesum structure — a thick, swollen basal caudex with sturdy green branches. Straightforward specimen-potting subject.

Sun
Full direct sun is what maximizes bloom count and deepens the pink pigmentation along the petal edges. This one rewards a genuinely sunny spot over a bright-but-shaded one.

From Seed
These come from hand-pollinated mother plants through my top Thai breeder network. Hand-pollinated hybrid seed carries strong parental genetics — a high percentage of this batch's seedlings will inherit the frilly pink multi-petal form with the green-and-white throat. You'll still see individual variation in petal count and color saturation plant to plant, which is normal and part of what makes a seed-grown population worth watching bloom out.

Zone 6 Notes
I run obesum outdoors in Northern Kentucky from late May through early September, then bring everything in before overnight lows approach 50°F. Full sun through that outdoor window is what gets you the deepest pink edge and the sharpest throat contrast — indoors under lights over winter, expect both to soften some until the plant's back under real intensity next season.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• Fresh hand-harvested Adenium obesum 'Mermaid' seed (select quantity above)
• Germination and seedling care instructions with every order

GROWING BASICS

• Soak: Warm water soak, 2–4 hours before sowing, to soften the seed coat
• Substrate: Fast-draining seedling mix — 50/50 inorganic pumice/perlite and fine coco coir works well. Press lightly into the surface and cover very thinly with substrate or fine grit.
• Germination temp: 80–90°F, with high humidity under a tray cover or dome
• Germination time: 3–7 days typical
• Light: Bright light on emergence, gradually moving into direct sun
• Hardiness: Bring indoors before temps drop below 50°F

What We're Growing With

Seeds are only half the equation — germination success comes down to the setup. Here's what I use:

∙ Desert Oasis Potting Media — the fast-draining inorganic mix built for Adenium, Plumeria, and caudex seedlings once they're up and potted on.

∙ Luxbird Seed Germinator & Propagation Kit — bottom heat and a humidity dome, the two things that push obesum germination toward the 90%+ range.

∙ 5×5 Germination Tray — sized for clean single-variety sowing so nothing gets crossed up.

See the full Desert Oasis media range at americanadenium.com.

Michael White — ISA Certified Arborist (KY-0847A), Kentucky Master Gardener. Growing Adenium in Zone 6 since 1994.