Nerium oleander
We all have that friend who is perfect in many ways , but conversation about them always terminate with , “ But … . ”
Nerium oleanderis like that . It has many wonderful trait , the sort you would search in a friend . It ’s an evergreen – always there for you – and need almost no maintenance ( never clingy ! ) .
It ’s upbeat and bouncy , with vibrant flowers that bloom for calendar month . They may be white , pinkish , red , Salmon River , light orangeness , or even a spectre of wakeful purple .
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Most of import , this shrub buddy is there when times get elusive . In fond climates , it can survive and thrive despite various challenges , from blistering heat to drought and high humidity .
But … This garden bush does have one negative characteristic , and it could be the end to a beautiful friendly relationship .
Nerium oleander are highly toxic . If kids , adult , or pets eat the blooms , leave-taking , stems , root , or dry debris , they may respond with cardiac failure , cardiac pinch , or convulsions . Sometimes , these reactions are fatal .
If you are able to guarantee that humans or animals wo n’t accidentally consume your oleander , though , I ca n’t recommend this vibrant , comfortable - care florescence plant enough .
It ’s specially rewarding for those contending with red-hot summertime temperatures .
And I ’m here ( hey , I ’m a good ally , too ! ) to guide you through the growing process . Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Oleander?
Of North African and Mediterranean origin , the evergreen blossom shrub bang as oleander grows worldwide in warm , semitropical regions . It ’s a member of the Apocynaceae aka dogbane family .
Homeowners , communities , and conveyance departments found them because they grow quickly as reliable windbreaks and easy - to - forethought - for highway median adornments that cervid wo n’t eat .
The thick leaves are shaped like steel blades . They work polar brace or are set out in whorls of three . The deeply - lobed flowers can be double or single , and blossom at the end of the branch , which can be spreading or tumid .
There is also a relative with a similar name that is widely grown as an ornamental . I ’ll only note yellow rose bay ( Cascabela thevetia ) in passing , because it ’s a unlike mintage from the same kin .
C. thevetiais also a poisonous plant to be cognisant of , and it ’s native in Mexico and throughout Central America . telephone “ lucky nut ” in the West Indies , it is nevertheless extremely toxic and can make fatalities too if have .
receive back toNerium , you may also recognise it because the come are downy . These are produced in a capsule that ’s two to nine inches long , and carve up open at maturity .
This specie is usable in three size .
midget type get from four to seven feet grandiloquent , and can spread a few feet . They ’re a good size of it to originate in container , which comes in handy in zones outside their stove , and they ’re also a nice option for groundcover or small shrubbery ( grow far off from dearie or small nipper , though ) .
The midsize options grow to mature acme of eight to 10 foot , and tall type can reach anywhere from 10 to 25 feet . They ’re popular for privacy screens or hedgerow , or rationalize to present more like a tree with a single “ trunk ” stem .
The latter choice looks really cool , but keep in mind that it ’s not as low maintenance as plant in a sunny corner of your growing space and letting it take concern of itself .
In the US , this blossom shrub is popular with gardeners on the West Coast , in southerly State include Texas and Florida , and in many balmy - temperature coastal part , due to its allowance of table salt spray and ability to adapt to various piteous grime and pH levels .
According to Elizabeth Head of theInternational Oleander Society(IOS ) , their namesake plant “ can grow in an altitude of 100 meters near the Dead Sea to about 2,500 beat in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa . ”
Though you ca n’t grow oleander outdoors year - troll except inUSDA Hardiness Zones8 to 10 , it is possible to produce themmostlyoutdoors in Zones 4 to 7 , bringing them indoors for thecoldest part of the wintertime .
Cultivation and History
Its perniciousness may be the reason oleander has survived so long in the natural humankind , but for certain its longevity as a prized ornamental is due to those glorious blooms .
And this plant has been around since ancient times , eternalise in theRoman wall painting at Pompeii .
Head of the IOS also extend titbit about the stemma of its namesake bush , saying “ Ancient Greeks maintained holy forest of oleanders and garnished Lord’s table with their blossoms to honor the Nereides , who were take to be infallible template . ”
More late , Head sum up , “ in the twelfth century , the oleander was one of the flowering shrubs together with the myrtle and the rose used by Arab gardeners of the Dar - al - Islam . ”
This toxic beauty also act a part in Galveston ’s own island urban center history . Joseph Osterman , a merchant and moneyman who originally hailed from Amsterdam , fetch bathing tub of double pink and single white diverseness from Jamaica to Galveston in the early 1840s .
The flowering shrubs go far on Osterman ’s schooner along with the rummy and sugar he import for his mercantile .
His sis - in - law , Mercedes Louise Percival , known to island society as Mrs. Isadore Dyer , was quite the unripe thumb and had before long propagated and partake in hundreds of these bush with her friends and neighbors .
These first cultivars became pop throughout the island and presently made their way into the gardens of other Texas communities .
Over the years , Galveston and a number of Texas gardeners cultivated many more varieties , including a pink , vanilla - scented one named ‘ Mrs. Isadore Dyer ’ in her honour .
They had a 2nd heyday decades later , after the hurricane of 1900 devastated the local landscape painting . With their adaptability and fast increment habit , not to bring up those gorgeous flowers , they were the natural selection for reforestation .
After the hurricane rebuilding , Galveston became known as “ The Oleander City , ” and its tribute beau monde ( the IOS ) was formed and incorporated in 1967 .
Want to connect the happy legion who grow this showy shrub ? Keep reading and shortly you ’ll learn how to maturate and care for oleander .
Oleander Propagation
Oleander shrub may be propagated by root stem turn cuttings , or starting them from seed .
From Cuttings
Another easy - care aspect of these bloom shrubs is how elementary it is to start them from a cutting use up in the early outpouring , before they start bloom and after they ’ve father new growth .
It will take about a year for the cutting to reach a size where you’re able to set it in the ground or a container .
To set off , any time you ’ll be touchinganypart of this toxic plant , be sure to don protective gloves ( I favour disposable ) and wear off long arm . The saponin can be irritating to the skin .
Next , cut a stem that ’s six to eight inches long from the parent works . check that you ’re curve new growth , and make the cut just below a leafage node .
Strip the foliage until you ’re left with three or four on the tip of the root , and carefully toss out of the discard in asealed base with the family scraps .
Place the partially strip cutting in a cup with three inches of water tap water supply . Place the cupful in a window with indirect lightness .
Within a workweek or two , your cutting should sprout root . The water will get icky every two or three days , so you ’ll take to vary it at least that often .
Once the roots have reach an in to two inches long , pot the plant in a six - inch container fill with well - draining territory . It will need at least four hours of verbatim or collateral sunlight per day as it go along to grow .
Every few months , contrive to move it to a container that ’s a size large . Within a class , you ’ll need a gal - sizing container and it will be about a foot tall , quick to be establish in its forever home .
From Seed
Seeds are also an option for propagation , and they tend to be available in more varieties than the pot plants you find at the garden center , so this could be deserving a endeavour .
To start seeds indoors , fill up a shallow tray or one- or two - in peat pot with about an column inch of pre - moistened soilless intermixture .
adjure a couple of ejaculate into the top of each pot , or several into the tray , spaced about two inches apart .
Oleander seeds necessitate light to germinate , so only cover them with a light sprinkle of the pot mixture or a bite of vermiculite .
Cover the mess or tray with charge plate wrap and place on a windowsill , or on top of a passion mat that will make the ideal temperature for sprouting , which is 68 ° F .
Until you spot sprouts , which usually takes two to three calendar week , keep the potting mix moist ( but not waterlogged ) with a nebuliser bottle of water .
They may take up to 30 day to sprout , and I ’ve listen a few sad fib of cum that occupy 90 day to germinate , but that ’s a uncommon natural event .
Once they do germinate , now get free of the charge card and place them where they ’ll have four hour of direct light or more per mean solar day . If you’re able to only provide collateral Light Within , they ’ll need more like 10 60 minutes of exposure each day .
You may want toconsider investing in a grow lightfor this undertaking .
When the seedlings take form two sets of lawful leaves , they ’re ready to be transplanted into single muckle .
Proceed as described above for propagating cutting , moving to increasingly large potty and continuing to give care for them indoors , with the end of having them ready to found in other decline or former spring when the seedling is one yr old .
How to Grow Oleander Bushes
I dislike being a sedative about this shrub when it ’s so beautiful and gardening is so much fun . But at the risk of sounding like a nag , I have to prompt you : rose bay is potentially unsafe .
If you desire to grow this beautiful , carefree , flowering shrub , you must first check that you ’re able-bodied to naturalise it somewhere that pets , livestock , kids , or even adult wo n’t accidentally ingest any part of this flora , which is poisonous – from leaves to stems , and roots to flowers .
Once you ’ve exonerate that hurdle , the rest of the grow operation is jolly simple .
These live - weather mantrap grow best infull sun , but you may visit part shade on them , too . Do anticipate plants grow in part shade to be a fleck leggier and to have fewer blooms than their full - sun counterparts .
As mentioned before , they do n’t want good soil or any particular pH level , but the grunge has to be well - draining .
Consider tot a bit of moxie to the planting yap or better the soil with organic topic , but do n’t rankle too much if your drain is so - so ; as long as the plants do n’t end up in abide H2O , they should be alright .
They typically go abeyant in winter ( though they may blossom year - stave in a few sultry venue ) , and do the majority of their grow and blooming in spring and summer .
This mean the best time to embed oleander are very early natural spring , ahead of that ontogenesis spurt , or in late summer to early fall , mighty after they ’ve pause the bloomfest .
Plant each bush in a hole that ’s precisely as deep as the radical chunk , and two to three clip as broad . Reserve the grunge from digging to backfill after you plant .
Place the transplant in the golf hole , make certain to set the base of the main fore right at soil story ( not beneath the ground ) .
lightly fill up the hole halfway with soil , but do n’t pack or press it down . Water thinly , being thrifty to aim for the roots and keep the leaves dry .
Give it a few minute for the root to get a beverage , then gently fill up the eternal sleep of the hole with grease , give it another drink , and you ’re good to go .
You may not need to tend these transplants again for month ! But as the season extend , you may require to water occasionally during ironical spell . These vigorous plants will stand drouth , but hey , they ’d prefer not to .
If you have the way and happen to call back about it , consider water them during the hottest or driest months in your region . Aninch or twoof extra body of water per week should help them to blossom more profusely .
Make certain to aimspray from a hoseor watering can at the roots and below the leaves , and do n’t exaggerate it . If these shrubs stop up in standing piddle , particularly during the coolheaded months , they can succumb to take root rot .
Along with the below - leafage lacrimation scheme , be sure to provide the well - run out land they require so Mother Nature wo n’t overwater them , either .
To produce oleander in containers , opt a planter that ’s twice as broad as the root ball .
It helps if the soil is remedy with compost , both so it will absorb water and so it will debilitate properly .
Container - grown shrub do n’t need fertilizer , either , but they will involve full sun and they might require extra piss as grease in containers tends to dry out faster than soil in the garden .
Most importantly , if you ’re plan to bestow the container indoors when it initiate freezing at dark , ensure you ’ve got a dependable spot where pets and kids wo n’t be entice to concern or gnaw on the plants .
you could get a line more about how to develop oleander in container in our guide . ( coming soon ! )
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
We promised no upkeep , and you’re able to aboveboard go that path once your oleander shrub is established .
Fertilizer , for case : matured plants do n’t need it .
You candeadhead spend bloomswithpruning shearsto encourage more in the following years , but this job only yields maybe 20 percent more flowers .
you’re able to do without pruning , too . But your plant will also bloom a bit more if you snip the suckers bust out of the substructure stem or up from the solution if you find more than one or two .
And since oleander bloom on novel forest , it can help to cut back a few column inch off the ends of the stems once the peak have died back in late summertime or very early autumn . This furnish more potential “ flower ends ” the next twelvemonth .
If you determine to give the shrubs an autumn clipping , just make certain to schedule it early enough so the fresh - rejuvenated branches are able to “ harden off ” before the first hard hoar .
you could also rationalize again in early natural spring , right before the growth - fest gets going a few weeks after your average last freeze . This can help your bush to put on fuller growth , or bide at the pinnacle you ’d prefer .
If you ’re going that path , make indisputable to time it so pruning does n’t step in with quality growing time of year . And make your cuts mightily above folio lymph gland .
But again , any form of pruning is just “ courteous to have ” with these plants , and not at all necessary .
This may call me out as your sorting of lazy friend , but I say , if you decide to grow this shrub because it ’s grim maintenance , you should adhere to the plan ! Skip the extra exertion .
To learn more about how to dress oleander , stop out our guide . ( come shortly ! )
Oleander Cultivars to Select
Your main pick when selecting cultivars is whether you require one that can produce tall , or favor a dwarf change that will top out at three to six groundwork .
There are unlike bloom colors , too – mostly whites , reds , and pinks , with the occasional purple or salmon nicety .
And there are lots of cultivar available , with fun names like ‘ Austin Pretty Limits . ’
‘ Austin Pretty Limits ’
‘ Austin Pretty Limits ’ is a dwarf cultivar with sour pink prime that grows just four to six feet grandiloquent .
you’re able to find single live plantsavailable from Home Depot .
There is also a tall pink type that can grow to 15 feet and spread 10 foot .
Oleander
you’re able to witness bush in # 1 containersavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
You may be golden enough to be able to take a cutting from a friend or confrere ’s established plant life . But if you ’ve got a hankering for one of the more unusual cultivars , you may be more likely to find them uncommitted as source than bare antecedent or potted seedling .
To get more selections , check out our favourite oleander varieties here .
Managing Pests and Disease
Because it ’s so toxic , you do n’t have to interest aboutdeerorrabbitseating these bush .
There is the oleander caterpillar , Syntomeida epilais , to contend with , though , and this bug did n’t get its name accidentally : It ’s the main pest that chevy this shrub .
The larva can waste the unseasoned shoots , and if you pick out only skeletal remains of foliage , there ’s a upright chance your plant is infest with these pests .
The matured caterpillars are a sight to lay eyes on – otherworldly , fuzzy , rusting - blood-red crawlers spud black tussock .
But here ’s what ’s almost magic . If your plant is already acquire strong , an plague of these Caterpillar will merely defoliate it . It will be down ( and look dreaded ) , but not out .
It will probably just grow back and proceed along . That does n’t mean you want to boost the namesake caterpillars , though .
Their Edvard Munch - fest can weaken the industrial plant and make it more susceptible to the less potential pests , which includeaphids , mealybug , andscale insects .
commonly , though , you could spot where the larvae have scratch the leaves in fourth dimension to issue the foliage they ’re feeding on , and get rid of them in the cognitive process .
Or , if you tell apart the mature 1 , peck them off by paw – they do n’t sting ! Ironically , the bigger danger to you is getting the chafe whitish muggins from the plants on your hand or branch , so ensure to put on recollective sleeves and disposable baseball glove for the continuance .
Also look for the cocoon of ripe Nerium oleander caterpillars , which are obtrusive on walls or eaves of nearby body structure , like a house or shed . If you pluck and freeze down them for 24 hours before tossing them out in a bagful , you could hold on the damage before it starts .
These plant are hardy and boom on disregard . But you ’ll still need to ensure they ’re not suffering from Botryosphaeria dieback , where species of kingdom Fungi in theBotryosphaeriagenus cause the shoot to croak back and turn a depressing coloured ghost .
It ’s pretty easy to take care of the damage , though , snip out all the discolored parcel and making sure to cover any cuts with a solution of one part household bleach to nine parts water .
They may also have a bit of difficulty with oleander gall , which comes about when a bacterium calledPseudomonas syringaemultiplies inside the plant . It enter via the shrub ’s instinctive possible action in the leaf and stems , or through wound support from hoarfrost or pruning injuries .
Galls start out as small bump and formulate into warty , elusive emergence almost an inch wide .
To forestall these bacteria from taking hold , void rationalize during the showery season . Also , do n’t water the plants from above . Either process runs the danger of the bacteria that causes gall splashing from a diseased industrial plant to an unaffected one via water droplets .
Once you ’ve noticed gall , you could remove the lesions by pruning a twosome of inch below each growth . Treat each cut you make with a root of 10 percent house bleach to 90 percentage body of water .
Be persevering about discarding the remains when you prune any diseased portions of this toxic flora .
You do n’t want to burn them , since smoke from oleander can cause respiratory distress and may be fatal to humans and pets that catch one’s breath it .
Nor should any cut branches with rancor wound go into the compost , or they may spread the bacterium and cause more impairment .
Instead , bag the cutting and throw them out with the house trash , and then destroy any loaf bacteria on your pruners by launder them one more time with that 10 per centum bleach resolution .
Best Uses for Oleander Bushes
If you ’ve set about a spot with full sun and well - draining dirt in Zones 8 to 10 , rose bay will thrive !
think of you do have to implant it where no deary or person will ingest any part of this venomous plant . But there are still several comforting options for growing this hardy decorative shrub in your landscape .
The tall varieties stand out as a quick - growing , flower privacy screen , for instance , with the added reward of evergreen farewell .
Or you could pull in together your landscape painting design by plant midsize or gnome types to form a scurvy , mound hedging .
In more formal preferences , turn over imbed just one , and train it to spring up like a individual - tree trunk tree .
If you ’re lucky enough to garden where sprayer from the sea or bay is an issue , salinity - tolerant oleander should top your tilt of ornamental shrub . It ’s extra prissy as part of seaboard garden because it can act as a windbreak , either severally , or as part of a hedge .
Since they ’re so low - care , thriving without subsidiary pee or fertilizer , these shrubs are also a great option for establish somewhere that needs clear but is far from a water hose or otherwise unaccessible .
you’re able to also engraft oleander in dapple where you crave color but it would be tough to amend the soil or where there is part shade . These shrubs will line up and go on bloom !
Behind the garage , on that hard - scrabble patch in the far recess of the back yard , in that gully or ridge where no one can walk – much less carry a lacrimation can – these are all gravid place for Nerium oleander .
And if you ’ve had trouble with cervid eat every flower thing , consider planting a few of these shrubs in an stranded part of the landscape . Deer wo n’t pertain them , and you ’ll have uninterrupted use of the profuseness of blooms .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Oleo You Need to Know About This Heat-Tolerant Shrub
At the end of the blooming season , I would challenge you to find a flowering shrub that is more productive than oleander , specially considering the minimal care it requires .
If you ’re front drought , high humidness , high temperatures , and maybe a moment of salt air travel , this vigorous shrub is a friend indeed .
And for more data about growingornamental shrubsin your garden , check out these guides next :
© demand the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . in the first place publish January 30th , 2021 . Last update March 26th , 2023 . intersection photograph via Burpee , Home Depot , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Rose Kennedy
