All parts of the Adenium oleifolium plant contains a milky latex, sure to be observed when the plant is damaged. The feature is shared widely among members of its family, the Apocynaceae. In some cases, the latex is toxic.

The family is commonly known as the dogbane family because long ago dogs used to be poisoned using poison obtained from some of the plants of this family.

The leaves of A. oleifolium are clustered near stem-tips, mostly erect. The narrow leaves are usually oblong, sometimes slightly oblanceolate and folded in along the midribs or curved in, forming channels. The leaves are blue-green or pale green and felty below, produced with the flowers. Slightly succulent when young, old leave become wrinkled as they dry (Van Rooyen and Van Rooyen, 2019; Frandsen, 2017; iNaturalist; http://www.llifle.com; https://worldofsucculents.com).