Shrub
Oleander
Nerium oleander · Apocynaceae
Also called: Common Oleander, Rose Bay, Rosebay
Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a low-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert.
Oleander at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun for densest growth and heaviest bloom; tolerates reflected heat. Will grow in part shade but flowers less.
- Mature size
- Large standard cultivars 8-12 ft tall and 6-10 ft wide; can be trained as a multi-trunk small tree or a tall screen/hedge.
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast.
- Bloom
- Pink, red, white, salmon, or pale yellow depending on cultivar., Long bloom from late spring through fall (roughly April-October), peaking in the warm months.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy in Tucson (USDA 9a-9b). Tolerates hard freezes but tips/foliage can be damaged by temps in the low-to-mid 20sF; it recovers/regrows in spring. Heat tolerant well above 110F.
- Soil
- Very adaptable - tolerates poor, alkaline, rocky, and saline Tucson soils; needs reasonable drainage but is otherwise undemanding.
- Native range
- Mediterranean Basin to southwestern Asia (not native to Arizona)
- Best used as
- Tall evergreen screen or privacy hedge, Highway/median and barrier plantings, Drought-tolerant flowering specimen, Trained multi-trunk small accent tree
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract some pollinators; foliage is avoided by deer and rabbits due to toxicity.
- Toxicity
- Extremely poisonous - all parts contain cardiac glycosides. Ingestion can be fatal to humans, dogs, cats, and livestock; sap irritates skin and smoke from burning is dangerous. Plant away from areas used by children and pets.
How to grow Oleander in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very heat- and drought-tolerant once established; deep water about every 7-14 days in summer and monthly in winter. Established plants survive on little water but look fuller and bloom more with regular irrigation.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Low needs. An optional light application of balanced fertilizer in spring supports bloom; generally thrives in lean desert soil with little or no feeding.
Pruning & care
Prune in late winter/early spring to control size and shape and remove old wood and frost damage; can be cut back hard to rejuvenate. ALWAYS wear gloves/long sleeves and never burn clippings - smoke is toxic.
Notes
A workhorse low-water flowering screen for Tucson, but note 'oleander leaf scorch' (a Xylella bacterial disease spread by sharpshooters) has affected Southwest plantings - watch for one-sided leaf yellowing/scorching and decline. Toxicity is the main liability for residential use.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Pima County Master Gardeners; AMWUA low-water-use plant list; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; ASPCA toxic plant database