The mesmerizing White Oleander (Nerium oleander (white)) elegantly showcases the wonders of the natural world with its abundant leaves and clusters of blooms. This evergreen marvel is a surefire way to infuse your garden with lushness and vitality. The single white flowers emit a delicate and alluring fragrance that will captivate your senses.
If you’re a fan of plants that burst into a kaleidoscope of blooms during the summer, the White Oleander will undoubtedly bring a smile to your face. Its stems are adorned with an abundance of these gracefully simple yet sophisticated white flowers. Blooming for several weeks during the summer, it becomes a haven for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, enhancing the magical atmosphere of your garden.
The White Oleander boasts lance-shaped leaves that remain verdant throughout the year, providing a striking backdrop that accentuates the beauty of the white flowers. These leaves sway gracefully in the wind, lending a dynamic presence even when the plant is not in bloom. While the leaves and flowers may appear delicate up close, from a distance, the shrub exudes a rugged charm.
Thriving in USDA growing zones 8 to 10, these remarkable shrubs reach heights of 5-8 feet and widths of 4-5 feet. Depending on how you train and utilize them, they can climb or maintain a shrubby form. With excellent heat, humidity, and drought tolerance, they are perfect for xeric conditions and coastal gardens. Additionally, they serve as captivating accent plants in even the most scorching climates.
However, caution must be exercised when incorporating the White Oleander into home gardens due to its highly toxic sap. While children may instinctively shy away from anything “green” like vegetables or Oleander, it’s crucial to educate them about the plant’s potential dangers. Although the leaves are extremely bitter and unappetizing, it’s best to keep this shrub away from stock animals. Moreover, some individuals may have a sensitivity to the leathery Oleander leaves, so wearing gloves is advisable to avoid skin irritation during handling.
Key Takeaways
Planting and Application
The versatility of the White Oleander allows you to incorporate it in numerous ways into your landscape. Its exceptional toughness makes it an ideal choice for hot, dry sites and xeriscape gardens where you desire a resilient and low-maintenance plant. For a delightful visual display, mix and match it with other varieties of Oleander, including the pink and white variants.
White Oleanders are rapid growers, quickly reaching their full height. They are perfect for creating hedges, serving as magnificent backdrops, borders, and property edge plantings. Ensure that you select the appropriate variety that suits your available space, giving them ample room to flourish. These shrubs can also be used to create breathtaking flowering windbreaks for beach properties or to establish living walls, concealing the more mundane areas of your garden.
For an artistic touch, you can plant them in a staggered double row, following a zig-zag pattern. On resilient, sun-drenched sites like hillsides or retaining walls, you can mass them, allowing them to cascade downwards. This prevents the arduous task of mowing and promotes erosion control. The White Oleander can also thrive in containers, serving as a captivating patio accent. With proper training, it can even be shaped into a multi or single-trunk tree, becoming a striking focal point in your landscape. While not cold hardy, these shrubs can be grown as summer flowering container plants in colder climates. Simply move them into an attached garage with a window during winter to protect them from the cold. Remember to water your containerized Oleander throughout the winter months!
#ProPlantTips for Care
These resilient garden plants have captured nationwide attention, swiftly spreading from Texas to every corner of the country. Oleanders thrive in Zones 8 – 10, showcasing their ability to endure the harshest conditions, including drought, salt spray, light reflected from windows and painted walls, high heat, and humidity. They flourish in both acidic and alkaline soils.
The White Oleander is as drought-tolerant as any landscape shrub or tree can be. Regular watering during the first year is recommended, followed by reduced watering in subsequent years. Once established, they require minimal supplemental water. When planting them in containers, make sure to provide regular watering and feed them a general-purpose fertilizer at least twice a season. Optimal application times are in late winter and late summer.
These plants possess remarkable adaptability, tolerating a wide range of soil types and even short periods of flooding. However, overwatering can result in yellowing leaves, so it is best to keep these arid natives on the drier side with well-drained soil. If additional water is necessary, focus on watering the roots and keeping the leaves dry. To retain moisture and control weed growth, apply a 2-inch layer of compost or arborist mulch beneath the plant each spring.
Pruning the White Oleander
While the White Oleander thrives and blooms without much intervention, pruning can promote bushier growth, increased flower production, and shrub size control. Remember, it blooms on new wood, so it’s advisable to prune it once the summer blooms have faded.
Regularly removing damaged, crisscrossing, or dead branches ensures the health of your plants. It is essential to bag and remove pruned branches from the site, refraining from using them as firewood or for cooking.
Once your plants reach the age of 10, initiate a regular maintenance program involving rejuvenation pruning. In spring, cut one-third of the oldest trunks at ground level and remove them from your property. Over a three-year period, this will result in a brand-new shrub without sacrificing valuable height.
The White Oleander is truly a marvel of nature, showcasing its resilience and beauty all at once. Order these extraordinary and enduring plants today at Ames Farm Center and witness the brilliance of their blooms firsthand. Let the White Oleander become the shining star of your garden, captivating everyone who beholds its enchanting presence.
