This is the iconic and endemic bottle tree, or desert rose of Socotra – Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum. When you find one in bloom like this one you simply cannot resist taking a closer look. It is an amazing sight to see the lushness and bright colors in a landscape of dryness – it’s like an organic beacon of color and light.
This species is abundant on Socotra, and not one tree is identical. You can see trees resembling humans and animals alike, and some grow to astonishingly large sizes. To find a specimen with unique features and in bloom is strangely enough not so easy, at least it was not so during my visit. They may not be in bloom at all on one side of the island, whilst on another they might be ready to blossom or just finished. This specimen was one of few trees with almost all flowers fresh and juicy on a tree of beautiful shape and size.
Last updated on 3 March 2022
