On Great Lakes Gardener about 3 weeks ago there was a horticultural expert in Oh who was successfully growing Oleander. I think he may have said that the flowering is rare though (he did say it about one of the shrubs, I don't recall if it was the Oleander or the Crepe Myrtles)

Maybe they have a website.

~Chills

Chills,
Thanks for your response. Is Great Lakes Gardener a TV show? I'll have to find out about that website.

~palmpunk

yes, its a TV show. I'll see if I taped that episode and see if they recommended a cultivar.

ITs on PBS Saturday mornings at about 10 am

~Chills

He called it Nerium Oleander, which a quick web search showed me this is nothing more than just the actual species name of Oleander.

Good luck...

~Chills

There are 3 varieties I can think of, off the top of my head, that apparently had severe damage after -9F in N. Carolina but recovered and bloomed the next year... Hardy Red, Hardy Pink, and Hardy Yellow. -- There might even be a white one too...
I purchased a "Hardy Red" last fall in Charleston, South Carolina and brought it home to try in the ground. It was in a 5 gallon pot and was about 2.5ft tall... I tested to see how much cold it could endure in the pot before it had some leaf burn... It appeared to be very hardy (in the black plastic pot) to about 12F-15F on consecutive nights with NO damage. The pot was frozen solid and I finally brought it in the garage a week before Christmas when I saw it was going to dip to 0F. No damage after 12F... It went back out at the end of March and again took a few nights in the upper teens...(again, no damage) I planted it in the garden on a south facing slope this April, and well, we will see what happens... It has been very warm the last few weeks here in Ohio and it is now starting to bud. I do not know how well it will bloom as an herbacious perennial. I would guess if you lived in an area of zone 6 that had a lot of heat you could coax them to bloom... I don't know how they will do around the Great Lakes, in that the summer temps are usually lower due to the lakes.
Give it a try... Good luck...

Oleander is not worth growing anywhere colder than zone 7b for flowers because it blooms on old wood only. It will never work as a herbaceous shrub because even though it may come back the next year it won't bloom and odds of having a zone 8 or 7b winter are slim to none so it will die back again.

Actually, I know from first hand experience in the South that Oleander blooms on new wood. This is also stated in the Dirr Manual. If a plant is killed to the ground by extreme cold, or cut to the ground, it will regrow from the base and flower the same year... If there is sufficient heat, which is the main problem attributed to lack of blooming in zone 6.

Thanks to everyone for your responses. Does anyone know how to tell the difference between the "hardy red" cultivar and the regular red oleander?

Actually, I have no idea telling which is which... The safest bet is to buy an oleander from a trusted/reputable nursery in zone 7 or 8 somewhere. That would probably be your safest bet. I would be leary of the ones that are mass produced by Monrovia and sent to nurseries all over the country for houseplants or summer color... I doubt they would even have a chance as a perennial in Zone 6. They are much more suited for California/Arizona/Florida...
By the way, my Oleander that was marked "Hardy Red" that I brought back from Charleston last year, started to bloom this week and it is actually "Hardy White." They were all together in a bunch at the nursery... thought I grabbed the "Red" one... Oh well... Good luck...

I was in Phoenix this weekend and I grabbed a cutting to bring back with me. I've got it sitting in water right now, but I will pot it up in the next few days and see if I can get it to root.

~Chills

I also took a cutting from one of my larger plants last summer, which took root. So far this summer, the plant has one tall shoot, which is 15" tall. It doesn't appear to be branching out from the main shoot, but I wanted it to form a bush. Will it branch out on its own, or should I cut the top off? I'm also wondering if I might be able to gain some cold hardiness with this one, seeing as I'm growing it in a colder environment, where I overwinter it in an unheated garage.
Chills and doniki, good luck with yours, and thanks for the input.
~Palmpunk

I'm actually a little concerned about growing it now that I've done a little research and found out that the WHOLE plant is poisonous. I've got a 16 month old who gardens with me and I may just have to give up on this particular plant.

The stem is in one of my raised beds right now and has recovered well from the trip.

~Chills

i cheat with root starting powders :-D

Oleander should be considered deadly. Here in California, it is used everywhere as a hedge or lanscape staple. A single oleander leaf can kill a child, while three leaves can kill an adult. Be careful with oleander!

DO NOT use if you have Children that are gardening with you... I've heard that 1 leaf has enough toxins to seriously harm/kill an adult. Some people are even very allergic when they touch oleander. I don't know if you just like oleander or if you want a taste of something "Southern," but other things that have a "Southern" uniqueness to them that should do well in zone 6 at least as dieback perennials are: Crape Myrtles, Hardy Needle Palms, Musa Basjoo (banana), Vitex- chaste tree, and some bamboo's.... All would give you a unique southern look in your temperate garden.

ok, i'm convinced. Its going tomorrow afternoon. A shame, though as it has bounced back nicely from spending a day in my luggage coming back from Az.

I've got Bamboo already, and passionflowers. I don't have a place for a banana or I'd really try and push my zone and get a Velutina (there are some in Oh coming back year after year).

~Chills

I grew up in S. Calif where (and when) oleander were everywhere. Don't be too too paranoid. We didn't all die, even though every yard had them and we were outside year 'round.

I'm not saying don't be careful, just that of all the posionous plants, don't pick on oleander as being particularly likely to kill someone.

But are they all that attractive?

Chills, I am with Fori. Don't get rid of your oleander, or brugmansia, or tomato, or rhubard, or any of the other wonderful plants. What you need to do is TEACH your children and their friends what they can and cannot touch. They need to LEARN how to RESPECT nature.

I have been a teacher for 32+ years, and a very successful one at that with copious awards to verify the same. When it comes to child rearing, I am a firm believer that one "house proofs" the child as opposed to "child proofs" the house. One must be diligent and aware, but the child must learn to respect his environment. Our own child would be a prime example of the fact that this works. Yes, it does take effort on the parents' part, but in the long run, the amount of effort expended is probably less that the effort expended by those who want to go overboard with protection.

Enjoy your oleander. I know that I do. I also know that I will teach my grandchildren to respect them as well.

Enough said. I'm over and out.

JRoot,
I'm a teacher too. Problem is I've got a 15 month old who is in that tasting stage and I plant stuff that is safe to eat (for the most part). Additionally, I already have too many plants that move indoors in the winter months for my own sanity.

If the Oleander blooms were as pleasantly fragrant as they are pretty I'd root it, nurse it along and keep it out of reach.

I, too, believe in houseproofing the child rather than childproofing the house. The 15 month old knows that there are places he cannot go and things he cannot touch, I'd rather my gardens were not one of those places.

But I appreciate your opinions and thank you for the reply (though I did get rid of the cutting last trash day already)

~Chills

amen

anyone successfully growing Hardy Red oleanders in zone 7? Are you aware of dogs eating the poisonous blossoms? Are the hardy red roots extremely invasive around pool pipes?
Thanks.