If it's flowers you want, flowers you'll get
Arizona is known for oleander plants.
fun fact- Native to North Africa and the Mediterranean, oleanders came to Florida in 1565 by early Spanish settlers, according to the International Oleander Society in Galveston, Texas. Oleander is part of the Apocynaceae commonly known as the dogbane family. (Greek for dog-away) and was used as a poison to kill dogs!
Oleanders are quite tall, up to 20 feet and 6-10 feet wide. Gorgeous with dark green, shiny, leathery leaves, they boast pretty 5-lobed flowers, some with double petals.
There are also petite sizes, only growing up to 5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. I find the petite versions are usually pink and my preference for our yards.
They are very easy to grow; in fact, they are practically impossible to kill. We tried, back in the 80’s in our first house, when we were unaware of this amazing plant. We got to the point of cutting the stump down to the ground, drilling holes into the stump and pouring gasoline into the holes. Yikes, I know… not cool. That darn, determined oleander sprouted and grew just fine within the next 6 months, without any water! It grew up to about 4 feet tall and was alive and well when we sold the house and moved. So when choosing an oleander, like a good long marriage, know that it is for life!
Most will survive temperatures as low as 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, though the foliage may be damaged; even then, if the plant's roots are not harmed, the shrubs recover quickly in spring.
They have delightful flowers and bloom a bunch, off and on all year long. The flower colors are red, pink, white and yellow.
I find the red or Calypso varietal blooms the least, but the white, Sister Agnes and pink, Petite Salmon bloom constantly. The petal does fall off so it’s not a clean plant. The petals do need to be blown or raked up which isn’t always fun, but some people use the petals as a mulch. I do not.
Personally I like oleanders and their litter. To me it’s just an Arizona look!
The great thing about Oley’s besides their beauty is that they are versatile in their appearance. They can be groomed or shaped in a variety of ways.
To continually trim the bottom branches, one can create a lovely single trunk tree with a pretty blooming canopy. They can be continually swiped or lopped off across the top to make a lovely dense hedge or they can be left alone to grow tall, wild and billowy as a curtain. They can also be shaped into round balls or squares and therefore stay green without flowers, so no mess. You’ll often find oleanders growing along roads as they are planted and left to grow tall as noise and pollution barriers around neighborhoods.
Oley’s have a light fragrance, especially in the early morning that is pleasant, not overbearing.
They are very easy to grow and I can’t think of one incident in which any of our oleanders have had disease or bugs, etc. It is said they are prone to caterpillars that need to be removed and also aphids, but I have never encountered that on my oleanders. I have never had to fertilize to encourage growth or color.
The downside to oleanders is that they are toxic. So this is something to be aware of if you have small children or animals and if there is any chance that they will ingest a piece from an oleander bush. It is imperative to use gloves when pruning an oleander and wash hands and forearms up to the elbows with soap and water immediately. When cutting stems or branches sticky latex-like sap is exuded. This sap protects the branch and is good for the health of the plant but not humans or animals. Be very careful to NOT touch the eyes. According to the NIH,. ingredients of the sap are two potent cardiac glycosides, oleandrin and nerine. Symptoms of poisoning include serious heart rhythm disorders along with nausea and vomiting, cramping, bloody diarrhea; and also confusion, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness and visual disturbances.
The good side to having a toxic plant is that critters won’t bother them. So no worry here about ducks from our lake or springtime bunnies noshing on my pretty pink oleanders.
Oleanders are drought tolerant, a much needed trait in the desert. In the beginning, after planting, it is best to do a slow deep watering for 15 minutes, 4 days a week. This forces their roots to grow deeper. We, of course, provide water on a daily basis in the summer, early in the morning once they are established. But if left unattended, they can survive on just the small amount of rain we have here in Arizona.
Oleanders are prevalent and can be found inexpensively at any nursery or plant center, Lowes or Home Depot in the valley.
We have had them in every yard, and are having petite salmons planted along our fence next week!
Here are the names of the varietals of oleanders
'Algiers' features single, dark red flowers. 'Calypso' is cold hardy with cherry red single flowers. 'Isle of Capri' grows to 7 feet tall with single light yellow flowers. 'Petite Salmon' is a dwarf plant, less cold hardy of the oleanders (my personal favorite) 'Sister Agnes' is hardy, grows to 12 feet and has large, single white flowers. 'Austin Pretty Limits,' a new cultivar available in 2021 from Proven Winners plants, is a compact shrub with pink flowers. (This will be nice)
PLEASE click on the photos below. For a simple slide show of the many faces of Oleanders, in February, our second coldest month.
