Care and Light for a Double Oleander

Sunlight

• Double oleanders thrive, flowering most profusely, when placed in full sunlight. These plants tolerate some shade, but they are more likely to become tall, open and lanky in shade. This is far less desirable than the symmetrically round, full form that all oleanders take naturally if they are given lots of light and sufficient room to grow.

Care

• Double oleanders are extremely drought tolerant. They can grow without supplemental irrigation; however, they flower better if they are provided some water during extended summer dry spells. On the other hand, excess water, particularly during cooler months, may predispose plants to common root diseases like phythium. Most double oleanders also do not require a regular fertilization schedule. While regular trimming is not necessary, except to remove any dead or damaged branches on the plant, some gardeners chose to prune in the fall to stimulate new growth and flowering.

Site Considerations

• While double oleanders prefer well-drained soil, they tolerate dry, nutritionally-deficient and even salty soil. These plants make very effective, fast-growing vegetative screens when clustered together, and are often used in highway medians. Used individually, double oleanders are attractive large specimen plants. Most oleander plants grow 1 to 2 feet per year, reaching 8 to 20 feet tall in a fairly short time period. Dwarf oleander varieties, which reach are 4 feet or less in height, are better suited for residential lots; unfortunately, there are no dwarf varieties with double flowers. All oleanders are poisonous, and children and pets should be monitored near these plants.

Flowers

• Double oleander plants produce showy, often vibrantly-colored flowers, in terminal clusters on new growth. In mild climates, they flower year round; however, peak flowering usually occurs in the spring and summer months. In general, double oleander flowers tend to be more fragrant than solitary-flowered oleanders. They can also be messier. While solitary-flowered oleanders tend to break and fall to the ground cleanly, double oleanders are more likely to linger on plants longer, eventually turning brown over time. Double oleanders lack reproductive organs, rendering them effectively sterile. Consequently, they are only grown from plant cuttings and are not commonly found in the wild.