Nerium oleander
Oleander, Rose bay, Poison bush, Adelfa
- Height × spread
- 2m × 1m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Mild winter to -5C (RHS H3)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This is a handsome plant, unfortunately poisonous, with more than 400 cultivars. It has broadly linear, grey-green leaves and clusters of flowers on long stalks, variously coloured white, pink, red, or purple, depending on the variety, all very pretty. The plant has poisonous sap so don't eat the leaves as it is a killer. There is a story that eight members of the French Foreign Legion used oleander twigs as skewers for barbecuing meat and this killed them. When the plant has finished flowering it should be rested for a month or so, this means, don't water it.
- Flower colour
- Purple, Red
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 2m
- Spread
- 1m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Seaside garden, Mediterranean garden, Exotic garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Mild winter to -5C (RHS H3)
- Borders & containers
- Borders and containers
- Use for
- Wall cover, Structural
- Walls
- South, West facing
- Hazards
- Yes, plant with caution; Humans: CAUTION toxic if eaten
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed young plants with slow release fertiliser
Spread a slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant to the edge of the foliage spread, so that it can feed the roots. It is helpful for this to be applied for several years.
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost until the plant becomes well established.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Spring - mid-late · Planting
Trim the plant
Trim the plant to give it a general tidy. This includes removing any lengthy or awkward shoots that make the plant look visually less attractive. Remove any spent flower heads at the same time.
Summer
Summer-Autumn · Planting
Divide after flowering
Clumps that have become congested can be lifted, divided and replanted with some space between the bulbs, corms, or rhizomes so that they can further develop, producing new foliage clumps in the future.
Planting & general
Outdoor planting · Planting
Add root growth stimulant to the planting hole
Mycorrhizal fungi helps roots establish quickly, so they absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. It comes as a powder, granule or gel. Add to the planting hole or container, and to the plant's rootball before planting in the hole. For "bareroot" plants use a gel.