About 2 months ago, I took home a plain-looking desert rose from a nursery. I saw it with 4-5 other blooming desert rose plants. In Malaysia, it’s known as ‘Kemboja cina’. In Cantonese, it’s called ‘Fu Kwai Fa’ or ‘Prosperity Flowers’ for the Chinese believe that it’d bring good luck and prosperity to the owner.
So I bought it. But not because of its beautiful flowers. And, not because of the good luck and prosperity. I had little idea about the culture context?#lifelesson
At that time, the only ‘Desert Rose’ I knew was the popular song by Sting and Cheb Mami. (Oh dear…?)
Love that song – best listened on loudspeakers. Somehow it reminds me of my time in Morocco. The song captures the spirit of Marrakesh, the people, Berbers and the lands, desert, sand and sea of Essaouira.
The silent pull of a plain Fu Kwai Fa
At the nursery, I remember the seller kept pushing me to buy the flowering ones (pink flower desert rose like in the photo below)–almost to a point of irritation. Perhaps she was perplexed, why on earth this woman wants to buy a plant without any flower? Don’t you want prosperity to enter your life?
Yes, the desert rose plant had no flower at that time.
But somehow I really liked it, as it is. I liked the way it appeared to me – the way the branches, the leaves grow together. The way it spoke to me. Perhaps deep inside, I wanted it to surprise me 😉
Cream, maroon adenium flowers
Last week, the flowers started to bloom. I notice the colours of the fully bloomed flower – the central ‘swirly’ petals have whitish cream colours surrounded by purple-ish maroon back petals. The colours, paint-brushed in broad strokes. It’s like a painting, an artwork.
Snapshots of cream, maroon flowers of desert rose, adenium obesum. Three flowers at different stages of bloom. The middle flower bloom is similar to an #orchid from an angle. Stunning!❤️
Now I was baffled… What plant is this? Because flowers hardly resemble the ones the seller was pushing. It doesn’t look normal… I may be good at technology and presentation design, but honestly, this is one area where I’m a noob–in flower and plant department. Hahaa…
I consulted my sister. I told her I had this plant – short but a big, bulbous stem and described the flowers. Is this a real desert rose? It doesn’t have a pink flower, though. My sister replied, “Well, it’s called adenium obesum. Interesting that you mentioned it, as I was searching for ways to plant one. It’s a succulent that grows well in the Saharan desert.” Her fingers were still on her phone, googling for information and looking at images of desert rose flowers.
Suddenly my sister stopped. She raised her mobile phone to me and pointed at a picture of a similar flower… wide-eyed, she exclaimed, “It’s a rare one!”
Precious life lessons by a desert rose
Surprised, I was. Stunned, a better word.
Quietly, unassumingly the adenium plant is preparing a lesson for the owner. The desert rose taught me a great lesson on self-worth:
Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your self-worth
Unknown
And it taught me to listen to my gut feelings. To trust my inner voice, rather than drowning by external influences. Had I listened to the seller, had I been tempted and bought a desert rose with blooming pink flowers, I wouldn’t discover and learn this #lifelesson.
It is a #precious #lifelesson by Fu Kwai Fa. Prosperity grows from knowing one’s value and what one could offer to the world. To stand out in the busy word, what one offer could be something uniquely distinct from the rest in an organisation.
Innovations come from that perspective and energy. Stop playing catching up, and start playing from your strengths. Have the confidence.
Just like the cream, maroon adenium flowers.
That said, it takes an experienced person with deep understanding to recognise its uniqueness and value. An uninitiated (or a noob) would often pass it as ordinary.
Any adenium lovers or cultivars, out there? I would love to find out the sub-species of this adenium – wonder if it’s a hybrid? If you have additional info, appreciate if you could drop me a line.
