Oleander, a fatal beauty
Nerium oleander
- Exposure
- Sun
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 8b (-9.4°C ≤ T° < -6.7°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Nerium
- Species
- Oleander Nerium oleander
Native to India, Japan and the Mediterranean basin, oleander (Nerium oleander) belongs to the Apocynaceae family. But don't be fooled by its delicate pink flowers. They're capable of decimating an army.
How to recognize the oleander, Nerium oleander?
In the wild, the oleander grows to a height of four meters. Grown in pots, the bushy shrub rarely exceeds two meters in height. Some dwarf varieties, such as oleander Petite Salmon, don't even exceed 80 centimetres. The stems, multiple at the base, branch out in height.
Oleander's evergreen foliage consists of tough, elongated leaves. Blades are 5 to 20 centimetres long. They are sometimes alternate, on either side of the branch, and sometimes intertwined in groups of three on the branch. Dark green on the upper surface, with a pale green underside.
The trumpet-shaped flowers bloom at the tips of the stems. They are formed of five petals. Depending on the species, they may be single, double or triple. Color varies according to cultivar. As the name suggests, the botanical variety has pink flowers. But there are hybrids with white, yellow, salmon or red inflorescences. Flowering takes place from May to October and gives off a fragrance reminiscent of anise, almond and vanilla.
Faded flowers turn into pods. Green and hard for the first few days, the fruit dries out and turns brown. Eventually, they open and release their fluffy seeds. In double-flowered hybrids, such as giant Battle Oleander, the seeds are sterile.
Would you like to taste these green bean-like fruits? Don't! Oleander contains a number of toxic substances, including oleandrin. Present in every part of the plant, it is dangerous even in small doses. If ingested, it causes cardiac and digestive disorders in humans and animals, and can lead to death.
The water in which the limbs have macerated is also contaminated. So take care when planting Nerium oleander, and don't use its leaves as mulch or in compost. And don't use the branches as barbecue skewers. Twelve Napoleonic soldiers ventured there during the Spanish Civil War. Eight of them died after cooking their meat on oleander branches. Before them, Alexander the Great's troops had suffered a similar fate.
Our care tips
Easy to care for and drought-resistant, oleanders have conquered gardens and balconies. To ensure long life and abundant flowering, protect your shrub from cold and frost.
Watering
Allow the substrate to dry for about five centimetres before watering. Use non-calcareous water, such as rainwater. Moisten the soil without soaking it.
Wait for the water to drain through the drainage holes before putting your plant back in its place. Empty any water stagnating in the dish. It may rot the roots.
Misting
Your Nerium oleander hates wet foliage. Don't mist the plant.
Repotting
Choose a pot with drainage holes that is larger than the previous one. To prevent your shrub from toppling over at the first gust of wind, opt for a heavy pot, such as one made of terracotta.
Soak the root ball of your Oleander to rehydrate it.
Line the bottom of the pot with clay pellets. You can add a drainage mat to hold the soil in place.
Next, add a layer of potting substrate for flowering shrubs. You can also make your own substrate by combining:
- one-third garden soil;
- one-third all-purpose potting mix;
- sand;
- compost.
Remove your plant from the water. Untangle the root ball and place it in the center of the container. The root ball should sit three centimeters below the rim of the pot. Fill in with substrates and firm them down.
Water the plant thoroughly for the first time. If you live in a hot, dry region, mulch the soil to retain moisture and reduce evaporation.
Fertilization
You can stimulate the growth of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.
Apply a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants to promote the appearance of flower buds.
Prune
Remember that oleanders blooms on the previous year's wood. If you prune all the branches at the same time, you won't get any flowers the following year. It's a good idea to shorten a third of the branches each time you prune.
Use a clean, sharp tool, such as disinfected secateurs. The plant is toxic. Wear gloves and wash your hands after pruning. Clean your tools too.
Start by removing the dead wood- it won't grow back. You can cut these branches flush. Then remove any wilted flowers and fruit.
Focus on the longest stems, which are the oldest. Reduce their length by a third to encourage next flowering.
At the end of summer, oleanders produces the buds that will bloom next year. Prune only a third of the branches to ensure flowering the following spring.
Oleanders are toxic. Wear gloves when pruning, and wash your hands and tools after handling them.
Start by removing wilted flowers and fruit. Using clean, sharp pruning shears, cut away dead wood. Finally, locate the largest branches: these are the oldest. Remove a third of their height.
Planting
Once the last spring frosts have passed, you can plant.
Choose a sunny location sheltered from the wind.
Start by digging a hole two or three times as wide as the root ball. Leave the root ball to soak while you work.
Place some compost at the bottom of the hole. If your soil is heavy, add some pebbles to facilitate drainage. Plant your plant in the middle and fill in with a mixture of soil, potting mix and sand. Take care not to bury the collar.
Dig a trough around the shrub and water. The water will compact the soil and eliminate air pockets.
If you want to limit weed growth and preserve moisture, mulch the base of your plant with organic matter.
Taking cuttings
Wait until the end of flowering to propagate your Oleander.
To take cuttings from your Oleander, use a clean, sharp tool such as pruning shears to remove a branch about fifteen centimetres long.
Remove the leaves from the base, leaving only a few at the top. You can dip the other end in cuttings hormone.
Line a pierced pot with a rich, draining potting soil, such as seedling and cutting soil.
Plant your cutting in the center and water. Half the stem should be buried in the substrate. Don' t pack the soil too tightly. The more it is aerated, the easier it will be for the roots to develop.
Set up your seedling in a bright spot where the temperature is between 10 and 15 degrees.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposure
- Sun
- Planting methods
- Open groundIn potsIn tubs
- Tags
- BeginnerFloweryToxic
- Origins
- North AfricaWestern AsiaSouth AsiaSouthern Europe
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 8b (-9.4°C ≤ T° < -6.7°C)
- Leaf colors
- Dark greenLight green
- Flower colors
- WhiteRedRoseSalmonYellow
- Fruit color
- Brown
Discover plants from the same family
Oleander Petite Salmon
Nerium oleander 'Petite Salmon'
Giant Battle Oleander
Nerium oleander 'Géant des Batailles'
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Find all our tips in the Monstera application
