How to Pollinate Adenium Obesum

Select several of the largest, most colorful flowers and remove them by snipping them off with a pair of sharp scissors. Cut them just above the point where the side stem connects to the main branch.

Slice the flower in half with a small paring knife; pull the pieces slowly apart and examine the internal mechanisms. The powdery pollen should be located just below the fuzzy inner filaments in the nucleus of the bloom.

Dip the tip of a damp artist’s paintbrush into the open center of the flower and swirl it gently to gather the pollen grains.

Score the center of the receiving flower with a sharp knife. Cut it vertically from the core down toward the stem to create a small slit. Work carefully and cut slowly; do not sever the receiving flower from the plant.

Pinch the blossom lightly to open the slit, revealing the interior structures of the bloom.

Brush the interior surfaces with the paintbrush to transfer the pollen and then seal the base of the flower with a strip of clear tape.

Tap the stem lightly to ensure the pollen grains have fallen to the bottom of the bloom and are not clinging to the interior walls. Wait two weeks, then remove the tape. Take note of any change in the flower’s structure or appearance. If the pollination procedure was successful, small seed-bearing pods should be developing near the pedestal of the bloom.