Desert Rose Brown Tips: Overwatering in Alabama

Adenium obesum Leaf Tip Burn

Small desert rose on patio 6 months. Leaf tips brown (<1 cm), some yellowing near tip. Older leaves worse. Also shriveled lithops and cacti. Auburn, AL, second-floor apartment. Worried about cold nights (<45–50°F).

Cause: Overwatering

Brown tips = too much water. Desert rose and succulents need infrequent watering: once a week or every two weeks if soil still damp (cooler weather).

Winter Care

Bring indoors before freezing. Cool nights (45–50°F) are okay for most succulents if dry. Provide bright light. Lithops shrivel from overwatering or natural cycle.