How to prune and propagate nerium oleander?

19 years ago

I inherited 3 large pots of nerium oleanders when I moved into my new home 2 months ago. The oleanders have been blooming beautifully ever since and new buds are constantly growing. I am new to gardening and do not know much about plants, so I am horticulturally helpless! They are starting to get very bushy around the bottom as new shoots have developed around the base. When is the best time to prune my oleanders so that I can get just as many buds next year? Should I prune the branches on the top or should I prune the ones around the base?

I would also like to know if anyone has had any luck propagating oleanders and how it can be accomplished.

Thanks!

Comments (3)

florajilly
19 years ago
I didn't know that oleanders can be grown up north , and I am from Ontario !!!! Here in Florida they are a very common landscape shrub , and you see them everywhere. This is also true in Tucson Arizona, where we used to live.
The leaves grow well in both locations , however my own personal observation, is that the flowering was better in Arizona , ( provided the shrubs receive water during hot drought conditions ).
Anyway, go to oleander.org That is the website of the International Oleander Society . Once on the homepage , click on Oleander Culture It's fascinating and informative.
I have a pink shrub , which I keep about 10-12 feet tall. It is on the front lawn, which faces east. We are only 2 or 3 miles from the ocean, ( as the crow flies ! ). We took the eyewall of hurricane Frances, and our landscaping was
" trashed " , but not this oleander !! There are no flowers on it, but the shrub looks perfect !!

Florajilly
melissa_tom
Original Author
19 years ago
Florajilly,
Thanks for your feedback. I will definitely check the oleander.org website for tips. The oleanders bloomed beautifully over the summer and now that the weather is getting colder, I was told that I need to bring my plants indoors for the winter (for the 'sleeping state'). There are many shoots around the base and I plan to propagate my plants by way of cuttings. All of my oleanders are in huge pots. I have 1 pot of white oleanders and 2 pots of pink oleanders. The pink ones are still flowering, but not as often as in July.

- Melissa
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florajilly
19 years ago
Another hurricane...same path...another north eyewall for us , here in Vero Beach. My oleander survived the strong winds ,of up to 125 mph !! Some of the leaf tips blew off. There were no flowers left after the first hurricane . The branches now curve toward the southwest !! It will be interesting to see if they straighten upright , in time.
I just collected a dried , split seed pod from the oleander. The seeds were just starting to fly away into the wind.
If you develop a passion for oleanders and you would like to try from seed , I will send the pod to you , however I do not know any " tricks " to get them started . Oleanders are inexpensive and found for sale in all garden centers , so I have never known anyone who needed to propagate one.

Florajilly ( Gillian )