Oleander – Flowering plants

Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a great easy-care, rounded shrub or little tree. It easily grows between 5 feet to 12 feet tall. The leaves are smooth, dark green, thick and leathery. They are long and narrow, usually between 4 and 6 inches long and an inch or less wide. The dwarf cultivars additionally have smaller leaves. Leaves, for the most part, grow in whorls. Oleanders flower from early summer until mid-autumn with large clusters of 2-inch single or double blossoms. Hues range from pure white through pale-yellow, peach, salmon and pink to deep burgundy red. Some varieties are fragrant. It is usually an outdoor plant but can be grown indoors too. When kept indoors, it must be placed near the window so that it gets a lot of sunlight. Oleander is one of the most poisonous commonly grown garden plants. Use caution around children and pets, as all parts of the plant are highly poisonous.

Scientific Name: Nerium oleander
Common Name: Nerium or Oleander

 

 

 

 

 

How to grow and maintain Oleander:

Light:
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade with no less than 4 hours of direct sun each day. Nerium plants flourish in warm, sunny locations. Move your plant outdoors for the late spring, if necessary, to give it the sunlight it needs to grow and bloom.

Soil:
Nerium’s tolerate a range of soil conditions, from dry sandy soils to moist clay soils.

Temperature:
Normal Warm temperature 70-85°F/21-29°C during active growth; cooler in winter at 55°/13°C

Water:
When Nerium plant in growth water often and allow plants to remain moist. When not actively growing, water plants sparingly and allow to dry out between watering.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize your Nerium plant in early spring and then once or twice a month during summer. Using a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus will encourage blooming and branching, but keep excessive stem growth to a minimum.

Propagation:
Nerium plant can be propagated vegetatively by softwood,
semi-hardwood, or tip cuttings at any time of year.
Utilization of rooting hormone improves rooting percentage.The plant can likewise be a tip- or air-layered.

Pests and Diseases:
Nerium plant generally has no serious insect or disease problems. Aphids and scale might be an issue. Additionally assaulted by caterpillars can strip oleander leaves in only a couple of days.