Monday, 5 August 2013

Oleander (Nerium)






Most people are familiar with Oleander and associate this shrub with tropical climes - not just the Caribbean as I know that I’ve seen it all around the Mediterranean too.

Oleander has a long slender leaf with an equally long and slender seed pod that is easy to miss as it is so similar in size and shape to the leaves. However, the seed pod does eventually dry up and burst open to release the feathered seeds into the breeze for distribution.




Oleander is one of the milk plants where not only is the milk poisonous, but it will also blister your skin if it is not washed off thoroughly and quickly.

Oleander flowers come in a variety of colours, from white through pale pink (very common) to a stronger pink and a dark pinky-red colour. And not only are the colours striking, but the flowers also come in doubles, one of which is pictured in this post.




Propagation of Oleander is easy using cuttings - it’s best to put them straight into soil without any leaves  and then water regularly. It won’t be long before the new leaves start to appear on the bare stalk.

Oleander is not good in flower arrangements of any kind - they just help to make your garden look bright and lovely.

1 comment:

  1. I found this post on Oleander really informative. It's fascinating how this plant is not only a staple in tropical gardens but also has a presence around the Mediterranean. For those interested in similar propagation techniques, you might want to check out how to propagate Barbados from Cuttings. It's a useful guide for anyone looking to expand their garden with beautiful plants. Thanks for the insights!

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