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It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara, from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan, to tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa, and to the Arabian Peninsula. It occurs in savanna, dry bushland or woodland, and wooded grassland up to 2100 m altitude, on rocky or sandy soil.

The flowers are tubular and tend to be red and pink, often with a whitish blush outward of the throat. The flowers resemble those of related genera such as Plumeria and Nerium. It has disproportionately large stems and a stout, swollen basal caudex, a rootstock that protrudes from the soil.

Under favourable conditions some clones flower for 2-4 months or even nearly year-round. Flowering stops when temperatures exceed 38°C.

As an ornamental it is cultivated worldwide. It is a popular houseplant and bonsai in temperate regions. Due to its resemblance to a miniature frangipani tree and its popularity in bonsai, it is also sometimes known as Japanese frangipani. The genus Adenium was first described in 1819.

It produces a sap in its roots and stems that contains cardiac glycosides. The presence of some 30 cardiotoxic glycosides has been demonstrated in it. A decoction of the bark and leaves serves as a fish poison, a use reported from Nigeria, Cameroon and East Africa. In the Sahel a decoction from the roots, alone or in combination with other plants, is used to treat venereal diseases.

It is a succulent shrub or small tree up to 4 m tall, sometimes with a fleshy taproot, and the base of the stem can swell to 1 m or more in diameter. The bark is pale greyish-green, grey or brown and smooth, with sticky, clear or white latex. The leaves are leathery, arranged spirally and clustered at the ends of the branchlets. The showy flowers usually appear before the leaves.

Plants grown from seed may flower within 1 year. Plants grown from cuttings also develop a thickened stem base and become indistinguishable from seed-grown plants. In cultivation it needs full sunlight and warm temperatures. Although it comes from dry areas, it tolerates high air humidity well.

The roots and stems hold the same glycosides in similar amounts. In northern Kenya latex is rubbed on the head against lice, and powdered stems are applied to kill skin parasites of camels and cattle. In Tanzania it is planted to mark the position of graves.

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