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Nerium oleander

Ceylone Rose · Ceylonrose · Ceylons Rose · Oleander

Family ApocynaceaeGenus Nerium

Pink five-petalled flowers with paler centers, opening from tight crimson buds among long narrow dark leaves.
FlowerChalliyan at Malayalam WikipediaCC BY 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Houseplant, Perennial, ShrubExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
shrub or treePlants of the World Online
Height
5-19.5 ft1.5-5.9 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
6-10 ft1.8-3 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Cream/Tan, Gold/Yellow, Orange, Pink, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Corse, Cyprus and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
8-10Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow RockyExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
5.5-7.8PLANTS Database
Moisture
Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally DryExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
Drought tolerance: HighPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Worth knowing

  • The only species in its genus. Nerium comes from the Greek for water, for its home along rivers and streams. Wikipedia: Nerium
  • Caterpillars of the polka-dot wasp moth feed only on oleander, eating the pulp around the leaf veins. Wikipedia: Nerium

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: either

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

15% germination in 7–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Nerium p. 181Public domain
Show the original text
Nerium (Apocyanaceae). N. oleander germ. 70(15% in 1-3 w) and 40- 70(none). Light had no effect. Nomocharis (Llllaceae)L Years ago several species were sown in soils and gave immediate germination at 70. However, Thompson and Morgan report difficuties.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Nerium p. 181. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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