Oleanders

Oleanders are a great addition to any garden. Not only do they provide stunning blooms, they are also easy to grow! This guide will give you everything you need to know to grow your own oleanders.

Planting Oleanders

To ensure your Oleander has the best chance of flowering, position them in the hottest and sunniest part of your garden. This is because they are from a much sunnier, hotter and drier climate than ours here in the UK. Weather will play a huge factor – cool and wet summers are not conductive to good flowering. Whereas in more recent summers, which have had long periods of hot weather, these plants have been smothered in flowers.

Feed and water them well in summer – all their growth will be between May and October. Whilst they are very drought tolerant, surviving long periods without water, they will thrive if well fed and watered. They also need to have the right nutrients in order to thrive. Use a good quality general purpose fertiliser in spring – such as Blooming Fast Superior Soluble Fertiliser. Then once the buds appear in early summer, use a high potash feed like tomato feed, to encourage flowering.

When planted in well-drained soil, Oleander’s can take short exposure to temperatures as low as -5°C. However, in winter they do not really grow much, so our advice is to move them.

Caring for your Oleander

Oleanders are reported to be toxic, as are many common garden plants if ingested, like daffodil bulbs, foxgloves, and poinsettia. The truth is that to come to serious harm, the amount of leaves needed to be eaten is a lot, and the amount of contact with sap, extreme. There have been no reported incidents in the UK or Spain in nurseries, where people are in direct contact with Oleander plants on a daily basis. The advice we give is:

• Wear gloves when handling plants
• No need to trim or prune your Oleander
• Avoid places where young children/pets may come into contact with the plants
• Winter protection and hardiness
• Protecting exotic plants over winter is important in cold winters. 
• Move potted plants to a greenhouse, garage or conservatory until the frosts have passed. In most cases, over-wintering them somewhere with little light will not harm your plants – just make sure they don’t dry out. 
• You could even move pots to the sunniest spots in winter.
• If you are growing plants in the ground, cover with Fleece Covers and mulch over the ground to add extra protection. 
• The more established a plant is, the more likely it is to survive harsher weather, so take extra care in the first few years.
• A number of factors will affect hardiness – the age of the plant, moisture, or how recently it was planted.
• Many plants survive short exposure to a given “Hardy To” temperature – below this they will die.
• If exposed to prolonged low temperatures around or below 0°C, the plant will also deteriorate.
• Additionally, if the soil/compost is waterlogged, many plants will also struggle. 
• This is often more important than the temperature. 
• That said, these plants are all known to thrive in the UK if well looked-after and will become more tolerant over the coming years as they establish.

Types Of Oleander Shrubs – Different Oleander Varieties For Gardens

Oleanders (Nerium oleander) are an evergreen shrub grown for its attractive leaves and abundant, whorled flowers. Some types of oleander shrubs can be pruned into small trees, but their natural growth pattern produces a mound of foliage as wide as it is tall. 

Many varieties of oleander plants are available in commerce. This means that you can select the types of oleander shrubs with the mature height and blossom colour that work best in your backyard. Read on for information about oleander varieties.

Oleanders look something like olive trees with blossoms. They can grow from 3 to 20 feet (1-6 m.) tall and from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m.) wide.

The blossoms are fragrant and different kinds of oleander plants produce different colour flowers. All oleander plant types are relatively low maintenance

Oleander Varieties

Many oleander varieties are cultivars, varieties developed for special characteristics. Currently, you can buy more than 50 different oleander plant types for your garden.

One of the popular oleander plant types is the oleander cultivar ‘Hardy Pink.’ It rises to 15 feet (5 m.) tall and expands to 10 feet (3 m.) wide, offering pretty pink blossoms all summer long.

If you like double flowers, you might try ‘Mrs. Lucille Hutchings,’ one of the larger oleander varieties. It grows to 20 feet (6 m.) tall and produces peach-hued flowers.

Another of the tall types of oleander shrubs is ‘Tangier,’ a cultivar that grows to 20 feet (6 m.) tall, with pale pink blossoms.

‘Pink Beauty’ is yet another of the tall oleander plant types. It grows to 20 feet (6 m.) tall and bears lovely, large pink flowers that have little fragrance.

For white blossoms, try ‘Album’ cultivar. It grows to 18 feet (5.5 m) tall in USDA zones 10-11.

Dwarf Varieties of Oleander Plants

If you like the idea of oleanders but the size seems too big for your garden, take a look at dwarf varieties of oleander plants. These can stay as short as 3 or 4 feet (1m).

A few dwarf oleander plant types to try are:

• ‘Petite Salmon’ and ‘Petite Pink,’ that naturally top out at 4 feet (1m).
• ‘Algiers,’ a dwarf variety with dark red flowers, can get between 5 and 8 feet (1.5-2.5 m.) tall.

Leaf Drop On Oleander – Reasons For Oleander Dropping Leaves

Oleander plants are drought tolerant, old-fashioned southern garden gems. These toxic beauties produce breath-taking floral displays and are easy to maintain. There are several possible reasons for an oleander dropping leaves. If leaf drop is combined with yellowing, damaged foliage, signs of insects or other issues, it is easier to narrow down the causes. Cultural conditions, pests, disease and even herbicide drift can all cause oleander leaf drop. Read on for some possible causes and solutions to leaf drop on oleander.

Cultural Causes of Oleander Leaf Drop

Oleanders are more common in warm regions but can withstand winters in temperate zones. They are hardy to 1.6°C and have remarkable drought tolerance once established. The best blooms come from plants in full sun and well-drained soil with average water application. If you are providing these conditions and still wondering, “Why is my oleander losing leaves,” we may be able to provide some answers.

Too much water and too little water can cause yellowing leaves and leaf drop. In the summer, water the bushes 1 to 2 times per week, deeply. Make sure your plant is in well-draining soil. Soggy roots can be a cause of leaf drop on oleander.

Oleanders don’t need a lot of fertilizer, but in poor soils or in containers where nutrients are limited, apply a balanced food in spring to perk up your plants.

Oleanders have extensive root masses but where planted with other competitive plants they can begin to get sickly and foliage can suffer. Move the bushes if they are sited too closely to a large tree or in an area with binding, thick growth at the root zone.

Oleander Dropping Yellow Leaves from Pests

One of the most common causes of many plant ills are insect pests. If you see your oleander dropping yellow leaves, it could be a sign of a pest invasion. These tiny invaders can do a lot of damage with their feeding activity. Sucking insects are particularly bad, and they are most active in hot weather. A species of aphid and one of scale are particular to oleander.

If you can’t spot the aphids, look for sticky honeydew or sooty mildew on the leaves. Both are a sign of their presence, as are ants, who feed on the sweet honeydew. Heavy infestations can be blasted off with water or you can use a horticultural oil spray.

Scale will appear as whitish bumps on the stems of the plant and can also be combated with horticultural oil applied 3 times over the course of 6 weeks.

Oleander Leaf Scorch

Oleanders are quite trouble free in most cases, but there is a serious disease that affects plants (mainly in California). Oleander leaf scorch is caused by Xylella fastidiosa bacteria. This disease is primarily caused by insects called glassy winged sharpshooters and others species in the group. The effects can be devastating.

It starts by causing a blockage of the water and nutrients to the roots. The results are gradually yellowing leaves, which eventually die and drop off.

The disease has no cure, but pruning off the affected areas can slow the disease and help prevent it from spreading to neighbouring oleanders. Destroy the infected plant parts. Do not put them in your compost pile. Sadly, over time you will lose your oleander but good care and removal of infected material can prolong the life of the plant.

Transplanting Oleanders – Learn How To Transplant An Oleander Bush

With leathery green leaves and pink, white, yellow or red flower, oleander certainly qualifies as an ornamental, worthy of your backyard or garden. It is an evergreen and can grow to 25 feet (7.5 m.) tall. If the site you planted oleanders isn’t working out, questions might arise about transplanting oleanders. How to transplant an oleander bush? When to move an oleander? Will transplanting oleanders kill them? Read on for information about the ins and outs of moving oleander shrubs.

Oleander Transplanting

Gardeners choose to plant oleander for its showy blossoms and easy-going ways. It’s a tolerant, forgiving shrub, accepting many different types of soil and exposition. It is drought tolerant but will drink a lot if given a choice.

Transplanting oleanders is also an easy, uneventful process. It’s not difficult to learn how to transplant an oleander bush.

When to Move an Oleander

Don’t undertake a transplant in summer. Moving oleander shrubs is easiest on the plant if you do it in November. The cooling temperatures make the process less stressful on the shrub.

How to Transplant an Oleander Bush

Moving oleander shrubs is a matter of using common sense and a shovel at the same time. The first step in oleander transplanting is to give the shrub a long drink of water. Do this 48 hours before you intend to move it.

While you are doing the transplant, keep in mind that oleander leaves can irritate your skin. Pull on garden gloves, then tie up the lower branches of the shrubs to make sure they don’t get snapped in the process.

Before you begin moving oleander shrubs, prepare a new planting hole for each transplant. Remove all weeds from the new area and dig a planting hole 12 or 15 inches (30 to 38 cm.) deep and about twice that wide.

Here’s how to transplant an oleander shrub. Shovel around the shrub, digging a trench the same depth as the planting hole. Work the roots free, then lift the plant’s root ball from the soil. Trim any damaged roots, then place the root ball in its new hole at the same level it grew previously.

The next step in oleander transplanting is to fill the hole around the root ball about halfway with the soil you removed. Next, add water to settle the soil. Finish filling up the hole with dirt and then water again.

Add 3 inches (7.5 cm.) of mulch over the root area, keeping it at least 4 inches (10 cm.) from the plant’s trunk. Release the lower branches. Water regularly for the plant’s first year in its new site.

Rejuvenating Overgrown Oleanders: Tips For Pruning An Overgrown Oleander

Oleanders (Nerium oleander) accept severe pruning. If you move into a house with an unruly, overgrown oleander bush in the back yard, don’t despair. Rejuvenating overgrown oleanders is largely a matter of pruning and patience. Read on for information about rejuvenation pruning of oleander and when to prune oleanders to rejuvenate them.

Pruning an Overgrown Oleander

The good news is that you can do rejuvenation pruning of oleanders and get old, overgrown plants back into shape. You’ll have to evaluate the health of the oleander shrub and determine if it can withstand drastic pruning all at one time.

The problem with one severe pruning is that it can induce excess foliage growth and encourage basal sprouting. If the plant is in fragile health, its vigour can be reduced and a very weak plant may even die.

When you consider pruning an overgrown oleander severely, you may be better off to do it little by little, over a number of years. When you are rejuvenating overgrown oleanders over three years, you do about one-third of the requisite thinning every year.

How to Trim Overgrown Oleander Shrubs

Generally, you’ll want to keep a shrub’s natural shape when you start pruning, even when you are pruning an overgrown oleander. The oleander’s natural shape – a clumping-type shape – is almost always more attractive in oleander hedges and screens.

Here are tips for how to trim overgrown oleander shrubs over three years:

• The first year, snip one-third of all mature stems to the ground.
  
• The second year you are rejuvenating overgrown oleanders, trim half of the remaining mature stems to the ground, and shorten the long shoots resulting from the prior year’s growth.
• The third year, trim back the remaining older stems to a few inches, and continue heading back new shoots.

When to Prune Oleanders

Generally, the time to prune most spring flowering shrubs is late summer or autumn, or just after blooming. This gives the plants a chance to develop the new growth on which next season’s blossoms will grow.

However, summer flowering shrubs, like oleander, should be pruned in late winter or spring. Don’t prune in fall or mid-winter since this encourages frost-sensitive new growth.

Oleander Knot Disease – What To Do About Bacterial Gall On Oleander

As far as oleander diseases go, oleander knot diseases aren’t the worst. In fact, although it can cause plant dieback, oleander knot generally doesn’t result in long-term damage or death of the plant. However, the warty galls cause unsightly, distorted growth. If oleander knot disease has afflicted your oleander plant, read on to learn about treating the disease, also known as Nerium canker.

What is Oleander Knot Disease?

Oleander knot is the result of a type of bacteria (Pseudomonas syringae pv. Savastanoi) that enters the oleander plant through wounds and injured or scarred areas. The bacterium is systemic, resulting in the development of knots or bacterial gall on oleander flowers, leaves and stems; and stunted, deformed seed pods. The disease is widespread in Arizona and other areas where oleander plants are popular.

Oleander knot disease is most common after cool, damp springs. The bacteria requires a wound to enter the plant and often finds a convenient route through areas affected by winter damage, or by improper pruning. It also spreads by contact with contaminated water, infected garden tools, or even human hands.

Treating Nerium Canker

Prune infected plant parts, but only when the foliage – and the weather – is dry. Treat the pruned area with a 10 percent bleach solution to prevent entry of the bacteria. Wipe pruning tools with rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution between each cut, and after the job is completed. You can also use a commercial disinfectant, applied according to label recommendations.

Water oleander bushes carefully at the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry. Avoid watering with sprinklers, which can spread the pathogens to uninfected plants. Overhead watering is especially risky after pruning an oleander.

If the infection is severe, apply a copper fungicide or a Bordeaux mixture in autumn. Continue to spray periodically when new growth emerges in spring.

Oleander Plant Caterpillars: Learn About Oleander Caterpillar Damage

A native of the Caribbean region, oleander plant caterpillars are an enemy of oleanders in the coastal areas of Florida and other south-eastern states. Oleander caterpillar damage is easy to recognize, as these oleander pests eat the tender leaf tissue, leaving the veins intact. While oleander caterpillar damage rarely kills the host plant, it defoliates the oleander and gives the leaves a skeleton-like appearance if not controlled. The damage is largely aesthetic. Read on to learn how to get rid of oleander caterpillars.

Oleander Caterpillar Life Cycle

In the adult stage, oleander plant caterpillars are impossible to miss, with iridescent, bluish-green body and wings with bright reddish-orange at the tip of the abdomen. The wings, body, antennae and legs are marked with small, white dots. The adult oleander wasp moth is also known as the polka-dot wasp because of its marking and wasp-like shape.

The female oleander caterpillar moth lives only about five days, which is plenty of time to lay clusters of creamy white or yellow eggs on the undersides of tender leaves. As soon as the eggs hatch, the bright orange and black caterpillars begin feeding on the oleander leaves.

Once full grown, the caterpillars wrap themselves in silky cocoons. The pupae is often seen nestled into tree bark or under the eaves of buildings. The entire oleander caterpillar life cycle spans a couple of months; one year is ample time for three generations of oleander plant caterpillars.

How to Get Rid of Oleander Caterpillars

Oleander caterpillar control should begin as soon as you see the caterpillars on the leaves. Pick the caterpillars off by hand and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. If the infestation is severe, clip heavily infested leaves and drop them into a plastic garbage bag. Dispose of the infested plant matter carefully to prevent spread of the insects.

If all else fails, spray the oleander bush with Bt spray (Bacillus thuringiensis), a natural bacteria that poses no risk to beneficial insects.

Chemicals should always be a last resort, as pesticides kill beneficial insects along with the oleander plant caterpillars, creating even larger infestations with no natural enemies to keep the pests in check.

Are Oleander Caterpillars Poisonous to Humans?

Touching oleander caterpillars can result in an itchy, painful skin rash, and touching the eyes after contact with the caterpillar can cause inflammation and sensitivity.

Wear gloves when working with an infested oleander plant. Wash your hands immediately if your skin comes in contact with the caterpillars.

Note: Keep in mind that all parts of oleander plants are also highly toxic.

What Are Oleander Aphids: How To Get Rid Of Oleander Aphids

You may cry “I have aphids on my oleander” if you see these bugs on your favourite shrubs. These are probably oleander aphids, marigold-yellow insects with black legs that attack oleanders. While great numbers of these aphids can cause serious harm to the host plant, generally the damage is aesthetic.

What are These Aphids on My Oleander?

When you have oleanders, and aphids attack these shrubs, the odds are great that the insects are oleander aphids.

What are oleander aphids? 

They are bright yellow, sap-sucking insects that can be found in warm regions throughout the world. These aphids probably originated in the Mediterranean, which is also the native country of oleander plants.

Oleander and Aphids

If you have aphids on your oleander, you’ll want to know what these insects are likely to do to the shrubs. Oleander aphids suck up sap from the host plants and produce a sticky substance called honeydew.

Honeydew is sugary, and something other insects, such as ants, like to eat. You’ll often see ants living close to aphids and tending to them not unlike shepherds care for sheep. Honeydew is not attractive on the leaves of oleanders. As it accumulates, unattractive black sooty mould is likely to follow.

How to Get Rid of Oleander Aphids?

The best way to get rid of oleander aphids is through cultural controls. If you reduce irrigation and fertilization, your oleander will produce less of the tender shoots that attract aphids. On smaller plants, you can try pruning out infested shoots. You can also wash off aphids with a hose. Neem oil can help too.

One natural way to get control of oleander aphids is to purchase and release their insect enemies. A parasitic wasp is one aphid enemy. It lays its eggs inside an aphid nymph. In time, the wasp larva develops into a wasp inside the aphid. It cuts a hole in the aphid so that it can get out. The aphid’s bodily organs have already been eaten by the wasp, and its empty body is called a mummy.

Another great natural predator of aphids is the dependable ladybug.

Oleander not flowering (aborted buds)

Oleanders are Mediterranean plants and thus require hot dry weather conditions in order to flower. They will commonly respond to wet weather by ‘aborting’ their flower buds.

In this case, we would recommend pruning back any of the aborted growth to the nearest green ‘node’ (ie. the knuckle where 2 stems are joined) to help the flowers come back with more vigour next year.

The following tips will help you get the most out of your Oleander next season:

• Oleanders need full sun to bloom properly.
• Oleanders can have large root structures, if they do not have enough space they can compete for nutrients, causing weak or no blooms.
• While mature oleander shrubs are drought tolerant, all oleanders need adequate water during their bloom time or the oleander will not bloom. From early summer to fall, water your oleander well once a week. A stressed oleander will not bloom.
• They also need well-drained soil, so relocate the shrub if puddles form under it during rainstorms.
• Deadhead the flower clusters when they begin dying. This extends the flowering period and prevents the oleander from forming unattractive seed heads. Cut the stem tips off with pruning shears right after removing the flowers to encourage new branch growth and possibly new flower clusters.

Oleanders - toxic

Oleander sap is toxic, as are many other common garden plants if ingested, like daffodil bulbs, foxgloves, and poinsettia. The truth is that to come to serious harm, the amount of leaves needed to be eaten is a lot, and the amount of contact with sap extreme – so with basic common sense and plant care, there really is no need to worry.

We have sold this plant for a number of years (literally hundreds of thousands of plants) and there has not been a single instance of poisoning on our nursery, or on those of our many growers in Spain – all of whom handle the plants regularly with bare hands – let alone any cases of members of the public being harmed by this plant.

The advice we give is:

• Wear gloves when handling plants

• No need to trim or prune your Oleander

• Avoid places where young children/pets may come into contact with the plants if you think they may eat the leaves

No fragrance (Oleander)

As I’m sure you’ll appreciate, there are a host of factors affecting how much fragrance you can smell. This depends on the weather (wet weather will suppress the smell), neighbouring plants in the garden and – as obvious as it may sound – how close you’re standing. The smell isn’t as potent as something like a Honeysuckle, which can be smelt from several yards away; it’s more of a light fragrance.

Smell is largely subjective, but we can certainly smell the Oleanders on the nursery – hence the description.