Adenium obesum 'Raven’s Spell' Seeds

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Adenium obesum 'Raven's Spell' is the darkest cultivar in the collection — a near-black, gothic-toned bloom with velvety burgundy-to-black petals and a moody, dramatic presence unlike anything else in the obesum lineup. Where Black Fire burns hot with crimson-red, Raven's Spell stays cold and deep.

Flower Form
Multi-petaled double bloom. Broad outer petals with slightly pointed tips surround a compact inner petal whorl, creating a deep, rose-like rosette rather than a flat open face.

Color
Extremely dark, velvety burgundy-to-black across the outer petals. The center whorl transitions into a rich dark maroon, with a sharp flash of warm golden-yellow at the throat core — the only bright point in an otherwise near-black bloom. Depth of the black tone will vary some seedling to seedling, which is normal for a hand-pollinated hybrid line.

Caudex & Growth Habit
Standard obesum development — a thick, succulent caudex with strong, upright branching. Nothing unusual to manage here beyond the usual obesum culture.

Foliage
Soft, light-to-medium green leaves that put the dark bloom in sharp visual relief — the contrast is part of what makes this cultivar photograph so well.

From Seed
These come from hand-pollinated mother plants through my top Thai breeder network. Hand-pollinated hybrid seed carries strong parental genetics, though individual seedlings will vary some in how deep the black tone runs and how compact the inner whorl forms — normal variation for a seed-grown population, and part of what makes growing this one out worth the wait.

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. Dark-flowered cultivars like this one tend to hold their depth of color reasonably well indoors under lights, but full outdoor sun through the growing season is still what gets the strongest bloom count.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Fresh hand-harvested Adenium obesum 'Raven's Spell' 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, highly inorganic mix
- Germination temp: 80–90°F, with high humidity under a dome or baggie
- Germination time: 3–7 days typical
- Light: Bright indirect on emergence, gradually acclimating to full 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.
https://www.americanadenium.com/products/desert-oasis-potting-media-2qt-resealable-bag

∙ Luxbird Seed Germinator & Propagation Kit — bottom heat and a humidity dome, the two things that push obesum germination toward the 90%+ range.
https://www.americanadenium.com/products/luxbird-seed-germinator-propagation-kit

∙ 5×5 Germination Tray — sized for clean single-variety sowing so nothing gets crossed up.
https://www.americanadenium.com/products/5x5-germination-tray

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.