Desert rose or impala lily, is neither a rose or a lily but a small succulent perennial in the dogbane family found growing in Africa, south of the Sahara, and in the Arabian Peninsula. It has a shrubby habit, with many knobby branches growing in an irregular pattern from the thick, trunk-like stem. Once established, it is very drought-tolerant. In its native habitat, it can reach nine feet tall, but in our greenhouses it is three feet tall. A scattering of small, glossy ovate leaves cover the branches, but these are lost during the dry season. Periodically, clusters of beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers appear at the ends of the branches. These are usually bright red, but may also be pink or white.