This plant has only become available in the last few years. To me that counts as being new to cultivation, especially given the lifespan of the plant. This matters because it helps explain the use of these two invalid names.
Desert Rose (Adenium obesum subsp. socotranum 'Golden Crown')
which is not socotranum but may be called "Thai Soco" in the trade to gain status
Desert Rose (Adenium 'True Soco')
which is probably labeled that way by the grower simply because of its rarity (see above)
A note in Philippe de Vosjoli's second Pachyforms book describes 2004 as the "breakthrough" year when a southern California nursery first put out a good-sized crop of socotranums. The plants on the market today may likely be offspring or grandchildren of this first wave of "captive" socotranums.
