If they are marked 'dwarf' they will not get as big as you want. I made that mistake myself last year. Oleanders are one of those love/hate plants. Many people object to them for a variety of reasons. But they are perfect for the job you have in mind. Carry on.

Maybe you could actually get to KNOW your neighbor and come to an agreement. . . OR put up a block wall. God forbid an adult man DRINKING sinful beverage with his "amigos" on the days off - does this mean he is "hispanic" from your judgments?

I never understood my fellow Arizonans who have such a strong preference to KEEP to themselves and want nothing to do with neighbors . . . it is strongly reflected in the relatively weak communities we all live in here (with a few exceptions)

although, with the number of non-native Arizonans - I get the impression that it's actually all the people who move here to "start over" that don't want anything to do with anyone

Marymcp thank you for the comment. Yes they are not marked dwarf so I think I am ok. I never liked the plant but now it is looking like perfect plant.

kevininphx- I am beyond talking to him. When he first moved in he started blasting mariachi music every night untill 3 am ( Not just weekends) I was nice and asked him if he could please keep it down as me and my family sleep after 11:30pm . He gave me a nasty look and said some words in spanish. I took spanish 101 in college and trust me they were not very nice words. After a month of trying to get him to stop I called the sheriffs department. I hate doing that to any one but had no choice. After they wrote him a ticket it stopped but them out of spite he started revving at 6 am in the morning. I'm a nice guy and geet along with every one around me but him. What I don't get is the nerve of some people to move here and be so disrespectful to the natives in this country and this state of Arizona.

I'm going to plant the oleanders away from his pit bulls so they don't die.

I am so fortunate with my neighbors. I'm sorry for your trouble, our homes should be our refuge. I am so very lucky.

You might also consider planting Arizona Rosewood. It is a native plant that is similar in nature to oleander, but actually should get somewhat larger, which it sounds like you want. It is very hardy and a low water user.

Good luck.

You might also consider planting Arizona Rosewood. It is a native plant that is similar in nature to oleander, but actually should get somewhat larger, which it sounds like you want. It is very hardy and a low water user.

Good luck.

dig, what's rosewood's rate of growth? I have a reliable book source that says it's a slow grower but an article recently in the Az Republic said it's a fast grower. Oleanders are definitely fast.

Yup, I agree with Mary, just make sure you don't buy the ones labeled as dwarf. You can usually tell when they're being grown in a 5 gallon pot as the non-dwarf ones will already be 3, 4 or 5 feet tall. Don't worry TOO much about the neighbor's dogs, oleander sap is extremely bitter and burning, no animal or child is likely to actually ingest a bunch. The non dwarf oleanders do grow quickly, and remember too that oleanders are super quick and easy to propagate from stem cuttings. So if you see one the size and color you like in a friend's garden etc a 4-6 inch stem section will root quickly in a jar of water (just remove leaves below the water line and change the water every day).

Sorry for your issue with your neighbors. Loud neighbors are the worst. I'm really happy with mine, we all chat on the street and share citrus and veggies and plant divisions, so I feel really blessed that way. My biggest issue is occasional barbecue smoke, and it's only a couple of times a summer, and honestly, I kind of like the scent, LOL.

Let us know what you select and how it works out. I do love oleanders and grow quite a few. 'Sister Agnes' is a huge, fast growing tall white variety that I really love.

Happy gardening!
Grant

You want Sister Agnes, Hardy Pink, Hardy Red, or Atropurpureum. Make sure to set up irrigation and water about an inch a week. Water them well and they'll grow fast and knock out that view of your neighbor.

Thank you all for the Replies. My wife said tonight she seen Sister Agnes when we were looking.

I looked into rosewood and just don't like the look as much

I'm thinking of putting ->

Hardy pink * Sister Agnes * Hardy pink * Sister Agnes and so on and so on. The yellow one I will keep for the end but the Mrs. Roeding Oleander one I'll return because I think it's a small type. The area all ready has dripper lines to the 14 citrus trees I have. I can run extra line from there.

Around here in tucson I don't know anyone who has Oleanders but in mesa I know a few that may give me some cuttings for rooting.

Also good to know about the dogs not liking it.

Thanks

-Matthew

Wow, I didn't know there were yellow flowering oleanders?

Like the others said, you have to water them well and frequently when young to get them established and growing up fast. Now would be a great time to plant them. They will grow well from first year cuttings too. Near my place there are some running some 30' tall. But they are along an irrigation ditch so are well watered.

Oleanders are wonderful privacy and acoustic barriers. Good wind screens too. Provide places for birds to duck into. Once established they don't need as much water due to their 6-7' deep roots and waxy leaves. They are rather pretty in bloom. Some people like the scent other not so much. Only the ones over about 10' tall bloom. Few pests.

It will help A LOT but is not a cure for loud.

marymcp - The rosewood doesn't grow quite as fast as oleanders, but come close. A little water will expedite growth.

Cuttings are good, but if you want quick results, you'll need larger plants as transplants.

Yes, the yellow oleanders are thetvia peruviana also called Lucky Nut. I don't know how botanically similar they are, being that their latin names are different, but as I recall their toxicity is the same.

For whatever reason they go by Lucky Nut as well as "yellow oleander".

The remedy for mariachi music is bagpipe music.

Several plants could be used ... oleanders are a bit touchy about temps and may die to the ground occasionally so also look into the desert natives that you can grow in Tuscon.

A mixed border of Hopbush, Saltbush, Desert Holly, and some smallish native trees would look better than the wall of oleanders. It would also be a major attraction for wildlife.

Select where you plant things so you are blocking views with a minimum of larger plants and then fill in with cuttings and 1-gallon plants.

This post was edited by lazygardens on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 20:20

If yellow oleander are thevetia I can attest that they are not nearly as cold hardy as oleanders. We've lost ours twice in the last 4 years. They grow back but it's REAL ugly until they do.

The remedy for mariachi music is bagpipe music.

I like your sense of humor but this sort of rebuke is just bringing yourself down to that person's level. I don't know how you can combat the revving engines in the mornings. He is just a mean spirited man and you can't fix that. Hopefully the house is a rental and they will move along fairly quickly.

I'm sure it's not thevetia. The leaf is the same as the others. The plant also is marked nerium.

If you go to bing and type in "oleanders nerium yellow" under the images area you can see a few pictures of the yellow type. It's not the narrow leaf you see with thevetia.

Today me and the wife put in 15 plants about 5 feet apart.

We did Hardy pink * Sister Agnes * Sister Agnes * Hardy pink. The yellow ones I am going to save for the ends and get them in the ground first thing in the morning.

Thanks again. All the posts here have been helpful.

This post was edited by mjp_80 on Mon, Sep 30, 13 at 3:15

Matthew, I know exactly how you feel about trashy neighbors! I have a super creepy neighbor who shares the rear wall with me. Even though the wall is probably 7" in the back, he has build some kind of bench all along the wall. He loves to stand on it and look in my back windows, and now even his two children of the corn do it. Man does not understand it is a PRIVACY wall! I tried a hedge of hopseed twice! Both times the entire hedge died! Please let me know how fast and successful your hedge is!

Then there's trampolines.....I had a neighbor who liked to look in all the yards around him as he jumped up and down, up and down......no flips, just nosing into others yards. (He's moved, fortunately)

:-)

I will let you all know how it goes. At the end it took 24 1 gal plants at $5 a plant. I have been giving them water every day for the first 3 days and now every other day. So far so good. 22 look very happy the other two only a little unhappy. I planted each with a little chicken Manure.

- Matthew