Rick, amazing plants, glad I got to see what is possible - this is probably what results when you let the nature take its course... An argument against pinching the tops for me... But, then, maybe what is possible in Thailand is not necessarily possible in my conditions...

Amazing! I wonder how old these are.

-Heather

I just about fell off my chair!!! lol I think some are taller than me ;-) wow-- just stunning to look at!! thanks for sharing. I think I have about 20 years to go. lol

Chuy

i've seen these around already,but they are far from natural shape. They are grown in sort of "tunnels" where the tip of the root is in the pot, and all of the rest is above in a tube filled with media. each time they are lifted and tubed up to encourage the root to grow only at it's tip. i think it's called anaconda form but i'm not entirely sure.
I understand and appreciate different tastes, but this form is the absolute ugliest thing i have seen in adeniums :))

Rick,
Many thanks for your post, interesting to see they are called towers, I suppose we would call them standards, like the way standard Fuchias are grown. Also interesting to see the way that stems are straightened. I have a few seedlings that have grown tall and straight as in the pic. They have not been trained in any way, think I will try to grow them as standards and see what happens. The tallest plant was sown November 2012 and the others sown December 2012. They are from Mr Ko seed. The tallest plant stands 22 inches tall.
Brian UK.

I like those seedlings Brian. Yes, they do remind me of standard forms also.
A gentleman here has a remarkable private nursery and he had a plant similar to yours. Probably 3' tall and it was in bloom. Gorgeous.
I think there is a difference (atleast for me) with these tall clean trunked forms as yours, because they are self supported and symmetrical in appearance.
I do not like the Adeniums I have seen growing naturally with no pruning.
They look unkept and messy.
My 'boehmianum' is growing in a similar fashion and some of the true Soco's I have seen photo's of are similar.
Thanks for sharing, Brian.

I'm with you, Teyo--these "tower form" adeniums are just butt-ugly to me, too. Just a matter of personal appreciation, though, as many others seem to like them. Adeniums for me--short and fat is where it's at! Flowers are a bonus.

Mike in MN

When I go home, I will plant adeniums in the ground and let them do what they want. I'll have contorted adeniums in pots and emancipated adeniums in the yard lol

I think my cat will have a thing or two to say about that tower.

Pagan

I don't like these tower shape. I like them short, fat and full....

Only my opinion.
Marie

Pretty interesting pictures , but I to feel like fat is where it's at lol, I love a short fat plant the caudex is the most important part of the plant to me , the flowers are just Icing on the cake, thanks for sharing it is nice to see what others grow.
Ronda

Fascinating! I personally love the tower formed ones and prefer them slightly to the short, fat sorts. But what I love most is the diversity itself! Just like people, diversity in plants is a beautiful thing. It, to me, shows the infinite creativity and glory of God! =) Thanks for sharing!

I like the looks of these. Not that I have the patience got that much training.

I would like to try training a Baobab-shaped Adenium plant. I essentially need a fat trunk, spreading roots, and some short branches growing from only the top portion of the trunk....roughly 2/3 trunk (including the root flare) , and 1/3 branches. I understand the training concept of behind letting the root elongate. But wouldn't this training technique result in trunk having a reverse taper? How is the natural flare above the spreading roots achieved?

topendadenium says: that they let the ..."root thicken" until it eventually reaches the diameter of the trunk. So the elongated tap root now becomes part of the trunk line, and blends into the fatter portion of the stem that originally grew above the original root line?

OK.....so how are the flaring roots grown from what is essentially a very tall, Adenium that's shaped like a telephone-pole? At this point the plant is nothing but a tall trunk with a few branches growing from the top area. If the tap root is trained to become part of the trunk....when are these flaring roots developed?

Is it possible that the trunk is chopped at the base line, and then re-rooted on top of a plastic disc, thus forcing the new roots into a horizontal pattern....much like they train the roots for Adenium bonsai? I'm lost. I need to have this explained to me.

Interesting training technique, and an interesting way to present Adeniums. I like it.

Frank

After a little digging around, I found two videos- (part-1 part-2) -that shows the techniques that are used to train seedling Adenium plants. Part-1 shows how plant stem/trunk is trained....part-2 shows how the roots are trained to form the basal flare.

Sorry, but I wish I knew how to provide the direct linksto the videos, and hope that someone who knows how to use a computer will post the these links on the forum.

Videos are in Portuguese, but the photos tell the whole story. Very interesting to watch, and easy to do. If you have the patience.

Go to:

Plante Rosa do Deserto.com / "Tecnica Anaconda Alongar as Raizes das Rosas do Deserto - Adenium Stretching the Roots. 1 & 2

Frank

I believe the Somalense's give the tall trunk shape ones best. They form a trunk fat at the base and tapering as they grow up. / \ I like this look as apposed to the | | look. All personal preferences.

Rick

Rick-

I think I agree. The telephone-pole style is less appealing, to my eyes, than the tapering trunk versions. And, I still love the braided-trunk style also.

But either way....just amazing to see how this plant material can be manipulated into living "art". No different than contrived, idealized, bonsai.

Frank

So true, Frank. Many are like a Bonsai. When I see the Soco's and Arabicums in photo's growing from a rock outcropping and literally growing over the rock. Reminds me of the windswept trees here that grow along the ocean shore, growing in nothing but rock. Amazes me.

Rick

I think to be fair to tower style, there is are certain approaches that are absolutely gorgeous. But those all seem to follow a certain formula- Thick, very slowly tapering trunk, 1/3-1/2 of height is canopy, and densely branching canopy. These tower forms look like very sturdy, old, dignified trees. If the tapering is done incorrectly or if it's just a really skinny long trunk with a bad canopy, then it's ugly.