Oleander Tree
Location
General Plants
Nerium oleander
- Common Name: Oleander Tree
- Scientific Name: Nerium oleander
- Family Name: Apocynaceae
- Origin: native to the Mediterranean
- Height: 8’ – 10’
- Width: 4’ – 6’
- Growth: medium to rapid, can grow 1’ – 2’ or even more in a year.
- Zone: 8A – 11
- Light Needs: Full Sun
- Salt Tolerance: moderate to very tolerant
- Soil/PH/Texture: grow in almost every soil, mildly acidic – mildly alkaline (pH 6.1 – 7.8)
- Soil Moisture: average water, regular but do not over water
- Drought Tolerance: very – can use some water during the hottest or driest parts of the year but try to water roots and not the leaves.
- Pests/Diseases: susceptible to bacterial infections, particularly oleander knot disease and the potentially fatal bacterial leaf scorch and the worst would be the Oleander Moth or rather its offspring.
- Growing Conditions: easy to grow and low maintenance
- Characteristics: Leaves are medium green or variegated. Blooms can be Pink, Red, or White, are fragrant, 1” – 2”, and bloom year-round repeatedly.
- Propagation: by softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings and air or tip layering
- Wildlife: attracts bees and butterflies
- Facts: all parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested and never use as firewood for a campfire cooking!
- Designer Considerations: use as a specimen tree/bush, windbreak, hedge, accent, border, in a median, residential, or business property, and along a driveway or a sidewalk.
