I don't know about Albuquerque ... out here they are tuff as nails .. the dwarf variety though is more sensative to cold ...

Good Day ...

I've seen a lot them around town, so I think they are actually pretty hardy here. They are super tough plants, so even if they die back a little this winter, I'm sure you'll see new growth next spring. Good luck.

hello, Im not sure about your climate, but oleander are terrific in sunbaked conditions, the hotter and drier it gets the happier they are!

Years ago I ultimately had to dump gasoline on an oleander to kill it. I had been trying to get rid of it for some time and couldn't kill it.

BigBear, ha, you have to dig those boogers up. I have seen oleanders trained to grow as tree's and they look very pretty that way, but just as bushes I don't like them either. Be careful when burning oleander's though, here in Phoenix we had some bum's that burned some oleander to keep warm and they died from the toxicity of the smoke. Not only is oleander poisonous apparently the smoke is equally as bad. They were in open air too, just sitting round it as one would sit round a fire.

oleander is poisonous but it is very bitter so it would be very hard to eat enough of it and actually keep it down. by the way you should NEVER burn oleander branches or leaves, the smoke is very poisonous!

I have heard that oleanders are hardy to about 10 to 15 degrees F. I have a large red oleander bush (potted) that we bring into the garage every winter. Last winter we left it out until the middle of december, and low temps got down to 18 degrees and a few of the leaves had minor leafburn. Does anyone know if it is possible to overwinter these in Zone 6 as a die-back perennial?

I'd like to add that even small cuttings can be rooted in water or wet dirt.

Once the roots are established, it will be a fast grower anywhere that stays wet. The neighbors' privacy hedge grows high enough to reach the power lines.

Actually they do grow here in protected areas. Nix the valley and mountains, but most warmer spots withing the city are fine. Granted, when we get a subzero winter you may lose it, but until then you have an interesting shrub.

I had to replace a nerium oleander early this spring because the winter was too cold and windy for where is was planted. I went back to HD and got a nice replacement about March/April. When it bloomed, I found out the tag was wrong - it was a georgious WHITE - but it didn't match the others - all pink.

Back to HD in early June. They were very nice. Had another shipment, this time in bloom. Only problem was that all were VERY limp. (5 gal pots, almost 4 feet tall) No choice, thought it would recover. Six weeks later the original stems still won't support their own weight. New growth (12"-15" in the last sixs weeks) seems strong.

Any way to stiffen it up? or should I prune most of it back? It's had suffucient water.

thanx!

Plants will grow leggy and limp if they are grown close together as they are in nurserys. Just prune the bush back until it can standup by itself. Oleanders are VERY tough plants-feel free to prune them however you want at anytime.

Will they grow here in Elizabeth City, NC?
Catherine

I strongly recommend against Oleander because of how poisonous they are. Children, rabbits, dogs, and grazing cows have been killed by consuming (even in small amounts) this plant. There are plenty of other choices.

I live in Longview Texas (7b) and there are large oleanders all over town that are unafected by the winters here. We've had cold spells with temps near 10f at night and 20f in day for several days.

Last fall I bought a Petite Pink and planted it in a semi-protected spot, but it died completely. It was slow to sprout but finally has a profusion of growth from the base of the stems.

I'm curious to see if it blooms and when. Am disappointed it's so tender because I don't have room for the hardy large variety.