ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.

Austin Pretty Limits ® oleander . ( Nerium oleander)Photo by : Proven winner

A wide used landscape works in warmer mood , oleander is develop for its carefree habit and attractive star topology - shaped flush that flower nearly year - round . Because of its knockout and tough nature , this evergreen plant shrub is commonly see along main road median value and in public landscape in position like California , Florida , and Texas .

Native to the Mediterranean region , oleander bush is also well - suited to residential landscapes , but caution must be taken due to its toxicity . Here ’s how to safely impart and care for Nerium oleander in your yard .

Proven Winners - #1 Plant Brand

On this Thomas Nelson Page : Basics|Planting|Care and Maintenance|Pictures|Design Ideas

On this page :

OLEANDER BASICS

Botanical name:

Nerium oleander

Zones:

8 - 11

Habit:

Upright bushy habit

Height/Spread:

4 to 20 feet tall , 3 to 15 metrical unit wide

Light exposure:

Full Sunday

Growing conditions:

Oleander is adaptable to many challenging condition including drought , heat , salty airwave and urban contamination . Plants can tolerate an occasional light-headed frost .

Soil:

Oleander prefers average grease with good drainage and a neutral pH between 6.5 - 7.5 . Plants are tolerant of poor soils .

Bloom period:

class - round , with acme flower in warmer months

Flowers:

Prolific clusters of funnel - shaped five - petaled flowers hap in hue of pink , white , crimson , coral , empurpled , or yellow . Some varieties are fragrant .

Foliage:

Slender olive - similar green or variegated leaves 2 1/2 to 8 inch long grow on sturdy stems . The elegant foliation tally ok texture to the landscape .

Is oleander invasive?

Because of its extensive ascendant system , oleander can be unmanageable to eradicate and can be trespassing in some southern part .

Is oleander deer-resistant?

The toxic properties of oleander protect it against certain enemies including deer .

Is oleander poisonous?

All parts of the oleander works are extremely toxic to humans and deary . See more on this below .

HOW TO PLANT OLEANDER

Photo by : Botond Horvath / Shutterstock

When to plant:

Spring or downslope , when the weather is cooler

Where to plant:

Place in a site that receives full sun . Plants can tolerate some shade , but may become gangling and produce fewer flowers with less light . Avoid plant around curious tiddler or pets .

How to plant:

weary protective clothing and glove to avoid direct contact lens with the works . Loosen soil in planting sphere and better with compost or other organic issue . Make certain territory is well - draining . Dig a hole 2 to 3 time wider and slightly deeper than the root clod . Remove plant from container and tease out roots if potbound . send the plant life in the kettle of fish so the top of the root globe is level with the surrounding soil . Fill in the hole with soil , tamp down lightly to take air pocket , and weewee exhaustively .

Spacing:

quad plants 4 to 12 substructure apart , depending on the variety .

Planting oleander in containers:

Use a high qualityall - purpose potting filth . Make certain container have adequate drainage kettle of fish . Containers should be 10 to 14 inch wide for smaller change and 14 to 24 inches wide for large cultivar .

OLEANDER CARE

Austin Pretty Limits ® oleander . pic by : Proven Winners

Pruning oleander:

To restore older or overgrown plants , cut 1/3 of the largest stems back to the ground . Cut remaining stanch back by 1/4 of their height . In the next class , take away more of the large woody stems if necessary and trim back as needed .

utilise protective gloves to prevent contact with the sap and wash out hands well after pruning .

Fertilizing:

When set in optimum condition , Nerium oleander needs fiddling or no auxiliary fertilizer . If dirt is poor and plants exhibit slow ontogeny , pale foliage , or few bloom , apply anall - purpose granular fertilizerin early spring and again in early fall . Mulch with a layer of compost in spring . For container plants , utilise an all - purpose granular plant food every 4 to 6 weeks .

Watering:

Water regularly and allow dirt to dry out between lachrymation . Too much water system can induce yellowing of the leaves or ascendant rot . container will postulate more frequent watering .

Pests and diseases:

When give the right growing conditions , Nerium oleander will be more resistant to pests and diseases . Pests includeaphids , mealybugs , flushed spider mite , scurf , oleander caterpillar , false oleander scale leaf , and glassy - fly sharpshooter . Diseases can include Sphaeropsis gall , oleander folio scorch ( a bacterial disease ) , leaf maculation , coal-black cast , and wood decay fungus kingdom .

OLEANDER VARIETIES

photograph by : Proven Winners

Austin Pretty Limits ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersNerium oleander

8 to 11

Austin Pretty Limits Oleander, Nerium Oleander, Flowering Shrub
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Upright spreading habit

Height and spread:

4 to 6 feet tall , 4 foot wide

Selected in Austin , Texas for its dense rounded drug abuse , this cultivar is specially heat and disease resistant . brilliant magenta - pinkish efflorescence lighten up the landscape painting . This nanus oleander is suitable for lowly space and containers .

Photo by : svf74 / Shutterstock.com

Austin Pretty Limits Oleander, Nerium Oleander, Flowering Shrub
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

' Petite Pink’N. oleander

9 to 11

thickset shaggy-haired habit

Austin Pretty Limits Oleander, Nerium Oleander, Flowering Shrub
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

3 to 6 foot marvelous and wide-cut

This dwarf potpourri is idealistic for little spaces and containers . The upright open habit is desirable for hedge or foundation plantings . clump of flaccid pastel pink peak 1 - 1/2 to 3 inch astray lend refined ingathering . ‘ Petite Pink ’ is less hardy than other variety .

Photo by : Jim Harding / Flickr

Austin Pretty Limits Oleander, Nerium Oleander, Flowering Shrub
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

' Sister Agnes’N. rose bay

10 to 18 foot tall , 10 to 15 feet wide of the mark

graceful clean white flowers with a pallid yellow center are suitable for conventional landscape or moonlight gardens . Abundant bunch of single or doubled whorled flowers are sometimes fragrant .

Photo by : Cheng Wei / Shutterstock

' sturdy Pink’N. oleander

Upright open habit

8 to 15 feet tall , 6 to 10 feet wide

‘ intrepid pinkish ’ is one of the most cold - tolerant miscellanea , wear temperatures into the teens without foliage damage . plant life may develop hardiness down to Zone 7b . hopeful rose - pinkish star - influence flowers are lightly fragrant .

exposure by : Amornie / Shutterstock

' Hardy Red’N. oleander

6 to 15 feet tall , 6 to 10 feet wide

Five - petaled funnel - mold red flower 2 to 3 inch across add sizzling color to the landscape all summer long . This variety withstands cold and temperature extreme point better than most other rose bay , subsist down to Zone 7b in some instances .

Photo by : cultivar413 / Flickr

Twist of Pink ™ N. rose bay

8 to 10

6 to 8 feet tall and all-encompassing

Unique variegated foliage is green edged with creamy livid , providing a gaudy backdrop to the 1 - in pink flush . This cultivar is unfearing than many sort , down to 10 to 20 degrees F.

photograph by : Ellita / Shutterstock

' Mathilde Ferrier’N. oleander

8 to 15 feet improbable , 4 to 15 foot all-inclusive

One of the most commonly usable yellow varieties , this classical favorite has adorable pale yellow double flowers 2 to 3 inches across that are fragrant . This hardier manakin may develop stale tolerance down to Zone 7b .

Oleander alternatives:

safe backup man for oleander admit bottlebrush ( Callistemon citrinus ) , flannel bush ( Fremontodendron californicum ) , and lemonade berry ( genus Rhus integrifolia ) .

OLEANDER LANDSCAPING IDEAS

How to opt the proper Nerium oleander :

There are many ways to incorporate Nerium oleander into your landscape . Here ’s how :

OLEANDER TOXICITY

Oleander hold back multiple poisonous compounds and all parts of the plant are extremely toxic to man and dearie . take in even a small amount of the industrial plant can result in serious wound or expiry .

The percipient sticky sap can cause skin irritation or a rash on inter-group communication . Do n’t burn discarded oleander branches , as it can unloose toxins into the air .

Keep dogs on a troika while out walk in area where oleander is commonly planted and check that they are not manducate on any industrial plant . symptom can appear in as little as 30 minute of arc and be quite spectacular .

meet your local Poison Control Center , MD or veterinarian immediately if you suspect your child or favorite has get along into physical contact with plants .