Nerium oleander

Nerium oleander detail (17/01/2012, London)

Position: Full sun to partial shade

Flowering period: Spring to Summer

Soil: Well Drained 

Eventual Height: 6m

Eventual Spread: 2.5m

Hardiness: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11

Family: Apocynaceae

Nerium oleander is an open, medium sized, evergreen shrub. The dark green leaves are lance shaped, linear, entire, narrowly oblong in shape and up to 20cm long and 3cm broad. They appear in pairs and whorls of three and have a leathery texture. The flowers of the plant grow in clusters at the end of each branch, they are pink to red in colour, are up to 5cm in diameter, with a 5 lobed corolla. They may be slightly scented. The fruit is a long narrow capsule, is up to 23 cm long, this splits open to release downy seeds. 

Nerium oleander, commonly known as Oleander, its original native region is hard to define as it has been widely cultivated for thousands of years, it is likely to be  native to  southeast Asia. It typically occurs around dry stream beds. All parts of this plant should be considered as highly toxic, although this is not clear. The use of this plant therapeutically for thousands of years and has been recorded in texts for more than 1500 years.

The etymological root of the binomial name Nerium is from the ancient Greek, being the name given to Oleander by Dioscorides. Oleander is derived from the Italian Oleandro in apparent reference to the olive like leaves.

Nerium oleander (17/01/2012, London)

The landscape architect may find  Nerium oleander useful as an evergreen flowering shrub.  It may be used as an open screening plant. Once established it is drought tolerant and salt spay tolerant

Ecologically, Nerium oleander is edible by some invertebrates, which are known to be unaffected by oleander toxins. 

The Royal Horticultural Society has given  the variety  Nerium oleander ‘Variegatum’ their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

Nerium oleander prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.

Nerium oleander requires little maintenance.