And overall picture of the whole plant would be useful also. I`m no expert, but desert rose plants shed lots of leaves, including here in the tropics. They keep most of its leaves near the tip of the branches.

If they are not watered very often the plant will loose leaves faster. In the shade they will hold more leaves also.

All I can say is that they're very sensitive to light and temperature changes, and mine always drops most of it's leaves comming indoors for the winter, even though it's near a south window with lots of direct sun (that's when the sun is out however). If I get a period of good sunshine even in winter it will leaf out suddenly and resume it's growth, but with a change to more cloudy weather , will again drop most of it's leaves. They do tend to shed most of the lower and older leaves as they grow, with bare stems below, so not to worry as long as the stems stay firm and green near the newest growth. I keep mine well watered all winter and haven't had any rot problems , but that depends on the temperatures as well where it's growing, and much colder than 70's for highs and I'd keep the watering conservative.

wow, i don't like this plant already

The only time they look GREAT, hfo, is when they're in full bloom...but, in my opinion, the bloomtime is worth it! However...mine it outsdide-part of my pot ghetto, but if space were a premium and inside the house, I guess I'd consider givubg it up to something else.

mines in my window, i try to keep the room warm, and it gets full window sun from 10am-3pm. i doubt thats enough for blooms though, right?

Your problem is almost certainly bacterial rot due to overwatering before you got it. This is a serious condition and can be fatal. Take a look at the soil the plant is growing in. If it contains a lot of manure/compost/ vegetable material get it out of there and replant into pure sand. The roots will probably look black and dead. Continue not watering it at all. It won't be very happy for about a year. If after then it seems to be recovering, water sparingly in warm weather with first pure water then very dilute soluble fertilizer. Avoid rich soil.

I agree that overwatering is a likely culprit. Remember that how much water is "too much" is a function of temperature and light. If it isn't warm enough or light enough for the plant to be actively growing, then it won't take up much water from the growing medium. Stagnant water in the root zone can only lead to trouble. The quality of the medium is another issue that affects water retention. If the plant has been sitting in the same medium for a year or more, that medium is more than likely broken down and needs to be replaced. A more porous/less water-retentive medium is probably a good idea.

This is what i've done:

I've taken the whole thing out of it's soil. I've frazzled off most of the soil off the roots. I'm letting the rest dry. I'm gonna replant it afterwards.

It's truly not that wet. Just enough to make the soil feel cold, ya know? But I did water it a tiny bit the day I got it then found out they don't like water much. So I'll let it dry very much then plant it again. I hope this wont be too much of a shock for it

I'm reminded reading one of the posts that though they're looking spectacular or at their best when in flower, some folks do find the very enlarged caudex part of their overall appeal, and am wondering if what I read about allowing sufficient space for the caudex to expand in the container , when the plants are young , is very specific, as to how much space should be allowed around the caudex. Anyone read about that. I guess the bigger the caudex , the more attractive the plant, is the idea! A matter of personal taste of course , when one considers what one finds attractive about particular plants of course, but I would like to see mine expand, though it is slowly. Right now it has only an inch of room around it's caudex and I'm wondering if I should move it up to a larger pot size!

My desert rose's leaves are turning sticky and with white spots on both the top and bottom of the leaves. What could be wrong before I lose the whole plant. HELP!!

chers85: check for scale or mealie bug.