Does oleander have black flowers? Oleander flower: poisonous or not? Oleander or pink laurel - description, photo

Oleander is a plant from the Kutrov family that grows wild in subtropical regions from Morocco to Portugal and to southern China. The word oleander (Latin: nerium) comes from the Greek neros, which means “wet.”

Oleander is a large evergreen shrub up to 2 meters high, its branched stems are brown in color, and the leaves are leathery and dark green. Oleander blooms in summer; its flowers are large and bright, consist of 5 double petals and have a pleasant aroma. Oleander usually blooms with white and pink flowers, but red and yellow ones are less common. Such fragrant oleander shrubs most often grow near water surfaces.

This plant is used in park landscape design. Particularly popular are such garden forms as Madame Oleander, whose flowers are double and bright yellow, Cerisa with crimson flowers and Lorik, blooming with soft pink double flowers.

In the CIS countries it is grown on the southern coast of Crimea and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Here it is used for street landscaping, because... perfectly absorbs exhaust gases. Due to its popularity, a flowering oleander branch is a symbol of the “pearl of Crimea” - the city of Yalta.

If you take oleander juice internally, it will cause stomach cramps, vomiting, dizziness, etc. Cardiac glycosides, for example, oleandrin, which are contained in the leaves of the plant, can generally lead to cardiac arrest.

By the way, tinctures from oleander leaves (neriolin) were previously used for medicinal purposes in the treatment of heart diseases, but today they are prohibited in Russia.

Oleanders are grown in greenhouses, clinics and offices. It blooms from June to October, especially with ample watering and sufficient light and warmth.

When pruning the plant, you must wear gloves, because its sap causes severe skin irritation. Please note that you cannot spend the night in a room where oleander grows, because... you can be poisoned by the smell of its flowers. Therefore, you should not grow it in rooms where there are children and animals.

According to legend, in ancient times a volcano awoke in the Mediterranean, the local population fled, but there was a lake on their way. The young man Oleander, the son of the gods, drank this lake so that people could escape from lava and stones. However, Oleander himself became so heavy from drinking water that he could not move. It was in memory of him that the shrubs that grew near the water began to be called oleanders.

Oleander is indispensable if there are smokers or alcohol drinkers in your home. It is believed that oleander is able to absorb the energy of harmful desires and relieve bad moods. You can also give this plant to someone who is not confident in himself and does not know what he wants from life, because... oleander will help such a person move through life quickly and smoothly, especially for those whose zodiac sign is Scorpio.

By the way, you can give an oleander to your eternally angry boss, so that the latter will soften and be kinder to you.

One of the most beloved indoor plants turns out to be poisonous, but few people know this.
The wild tribes of blacks who lived in the last century near Lake Tanganaiki and along the Zambezi River greatly valued the strophanthus plant.
White milky juice and especially strophanthus seeds are extremely poisonous.
The arrowhead, smeared with strophanthus juice, killed both people and wild animals. Death occurred almost instantly, since this poison stops the activity of the heart.
Strophanthus seeds are now collected to obtain a strong poisonous substance - strophanthin, used in medicine. There is no doubt that strophanthus is one of the most poisonous plants.
And his, one might say, “brother” lives in our rooms, and we don’t suspect it at all.
This “brother” has the appearance of a bush. On long stems, its elongated, lanceolate, leathery, as if matte, leaves sit in whorls of three together.
It blooms with beautiful pink-red, less often white, flowers that look like roses from a distance.
The petals in the buds are twisted, which is why the entire family of kutras - Apocynaceae (Apocynaceae) belongs to the order of twisted.
Colors are very difficult to understand. From the five-leaved calyx emerges a funnel-shaped corolla with scales and five bent petals. The five stamens have long, feathery appendages. The anthers of the stamens form a cone around the style.

Try to find all the parts in this original flower. The fruit of this plant is two capsules spaced apart from each other. The seeds have white feathery flakes.
What kind of plant is this? This is the well-known oleander. Keep in mind that it has poisonous properties. Never chew its leaves. Animals and birds that eat oleander leaves die. Even on its leaves and flowers you can see dying and dead flies.
When pruning the oleander, try not to splash the juice into your eyes and do not rub your eyes with your hands. After handling oleander, be sure to wash your hands. Remember: oleander is poisonous - it is related to strophanthus!
Asia Minor is considered the birthplace of oleander. It is widespread in Crimea and the Caucasus. Its beautiful, tall bushes with fragrant flowers decorate the embankments and boulevards of our southern coastal cities.
Wild oleander can be found throughout the Mediterranean region, Algeria, Andalusia and Italy. If in these places in August you look from the mountain at the river valley, your eye will be drawn to the emerald greenery by the whimsical zigzags of pink ribbons. Thickets of oleanders grow along the banks of the river. They grow, like our willows, along the banks of rivers, streams, ditches, reaching four meters in height. At the same time, the structure of oleanders
their leaves are adapted to summer drought, which is typical for many subtropical plants growing in humid places. Oleander leaves can withstand even long-term dry, hot winds - sirocco.
The Latin name for oleander is Nerium oleander, apparently related to the name of the mythical sea nymph Nereis, meaning that it grows near water. The specific name "oleander" is possibly composed of two words: "oleo" - "fragrant" and "andros" (Andros) - this is the name of one of the Greek islands.
It turns out to be a beautiful name - Nereid from the fragrant island of Andros.
Blooming oleander is really so fragrant that being in the room causes a severe headache and even dizziness.
Oleander is one of the most ancient ornamental plants. It was bred in the gardens of Greece and Rome. Oleander is depicted in bouquets and garlands on the frescoes of ancient Pompeii.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH OLEANDER

Where is the stomata hidden?

You have already learned how to make leaf cut preparations from camellia. You know that every leaf of a plant has holes called stomata. But we cannot immediately find them on an oleander leaf. You may, without any microscope, notice white dots arranged in rows on the underside of an oleander leaf. You might think that I am the stomata. In fact, under a strong magnifying glass or microscope, you will see tufts of white hairs peeking out from some holes. We clamp the sheet in the cut cork and make a thin cut. Having placed the cut on the glass in a drop of water, slightly heat the preparation over the fire so that air comes out of the holes, the black bubbles of which will disturb us. Under a microscope we will see an interesting picture. A very thick multi-layered skin protects the inner tissue at the top and bottom from damage and evaporation. Inside there are fabrics already familiar to us from the camellia leaf: palisade and spongy.
But the lower part also has strange pits covered with hairs. Where are the stomata?
Taking a closer look, we find three or four small holes between the guard cells at the bottom of these pits. This protects oleander leaves from excessive evaporation of water during summer drought. The stomata, lying at the bottom of the dark depressions, are protected from the heat and drying wind by the hairs that cover them. This leaf structure reduces evaporation by 77 percent compared to usual. If we wanted to get acquainted with the structure of the oleander stem, we would be very surprised to find vascular bundles in the core, and bast in the wood.
In the plant world there are many exceptions to the general rules. Mysteries and surprises await the researcher at every step of his acquaintance with living plants.

Oleander in lamp glass

Oleander is propagated by cuttings; its cuttings root especially well in water. An oleander sprig is placed in a bottle of water, the neck of which is sealed with wax or plugged with cotton wool. It’s good to throw a piece of charcoal into the water so it doesn’t spoil. In about a month, roots will appear on the cuttings.
You can get air layering somewhat faster and more interesting, but not in a birch bark bag with sand, but in a wide glass tube or test tube with a broken bottom.
Since you can’t always find a glass tube of the right size, you can use old lamp glass for this. Let's select a cork or, better yet, rubber plug for one of the holes. Drill a hole in the middle of the plug equal to the thickness of the oleander stem. Cut the cork into two halves. We will make two circular cuts on the oleander branch and remove a ring of bark three millimeters wide.
Then we put the glass on the branch. We secure the two halves of the cork under the cuts and tightly slide the lamp glass onto them. Coat the plug at the junction with the stem with wax. We attach the glass with the branch with a wire to a stick stuck in the pot. Now let’s pour enough water into the lamp glass so that its level is above the cut ring of bark. When the roots appear, cut and plant the cuttings in a pot of soil.
The method of producing layering in a glass tube with water was invented by I. V. Michurin. In this way he obtained roots on old branches of pear and apple trees, cuttings from which do not root in the usual way.
You have probably noticed that most subtropical plants develop better and do not lose leaves if they are kept in a cooler place in winter, which corresponds to a cool but frost-free subtropical winter. This also applies to oleander, which needs a temperature of +6° C in winter. It can even be kept on a light staircase.
Oleander needs bright light, fertile soil - clay turf mixed with rotted manure and coarse sand - and abundant watering.
In summer, pots of oleander are placed on trays of water. After all, it is not for nothing that oleander bears the name of a sea nymph: it grows near the water.
Some flower lovers complain that their oleander does not bloom. This depends mainly on insufficient pruning. Oleander should be pruned not only because it grows in long sticks, but also because the flowers form at the ends of annual shoots. Therefore, in order to produce strong flowering shoots, the oleander is cut quite low. Of course, the cut branches will be used as cuttings; with them you will increase the number of fragrant, beautiful, but poisonous plants.

INTRODUCTION

When it's snowing outside ..................................................... ........................................................ ....................................... 5

Part I
THROUGH DISTANT DESERTS

Desert Beauty .................................................... ........................................................ .................................... 13
Green freaks, or princesses of the night .................................................... ........................................................ ........ 25
Plant with four thousand flowers .................................................... ........................................................ ....... 50
Agave 2 from the Karoo Desert .................................................. ........................................................ .......... 55
Plants “playing hide and seek” .................................................... ........................................................ .................... 60
Plants with false leaves ............................................................ ........................................................ .......... 67

Part II
THROUGH THE TROPICAL FORESTS

Crybaby from the forests of the Amazon River .................................................... ........................................................ ................... 73
Rubber tree of the Indian jungle .................................................... ........................................................ ..... 84
Twenty plants from one leaf .................................................... ........................................................ ............ 97
A tree that destroys moths .................................................... ........................................................ .................... 108
“Pike tail” in a flower pot .................................................... ........................................................ ............... 111
“Vanka” from Zanzibar .................................................... ........................................................ ................................... 113
Tropical swamp plant ............................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 121
Dragon tree .................................................... ........................................................ .................................... 130
Stolen Treasure .................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 134
Papyrus of ancient Egypt ................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 138

Part III
IN THE SOVIET SUBTROPICS

A giant tree that does not provide shade .................................................... ........................................................ .................... 145
Elixir of vigor .................................................... ........................................................ ..................................... 156
“Crane nose” .................................................... ........................................................ ..................................... 159
Two-story trees with golden apples .................................................... ................................................... 176
Forgotten houseplant .................................................... ........................................................ .................... 190
Queen of Flowers .................................................... ........................................................ ............................................... 195
“Friendly family” .................................................... ........................................................ ..................................... 205
Memories of the Motherland .................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 209
“Sister” of tea .................................................... ........................................................ ........................................................ .217
“Golden” or “sausage” tree .................................................... ........................................................ ............... 222
Saxifraga family ................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 224
Doll trees .................................................... ........................................................ ........................................... 228
Green “animals” .................................................... ........................................................ ........................................... 232
This plant is poisonous! ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................... 237
Plant “walking” along the wall .................................................... ........................................................ ....................... 242
“Owner” of the world’s greatest flower .................................................... ........................................................ ............. 249
Alchemist's flower ................................................... ........................................................ ........................................... 253
Stone house behind the bulb .................................................... ........................................................ ............................ 261
Flowers of chance .................................................... ........................................................ .................................... 269
Study guide that crossed the ocean .................................................... ........................................................ .......... 273
According to the behests of I.V. Michurin ............................................... ........................................................ ........................... 280
World map on the window ................................................... ........................................................ ........................................... 292

Part IV
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HOME GARDEN

How to place green friends .................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 301
Fighting colds .................................................... ........................................................ ........................................... 304
Complicated procedure .................................................... ........................................................ ..................................... 306
Bath day .................................................... ........................................................ ........................................................ .310
Earth kitchen .................................................... ........................................................ ........................................... 311
Spring replanting .................................................... ........................................................ ..................................... 315
Surgical operations .................................................... ........................................................ ............................... 317
Greenhouse made from light bulbs and pots .................................................... ........................................................ ................... 318
Health care ................................................ ........................................................ .................................... 320
Electric sanatorium ................................................... ........................................................ ........................... 323
Plants “came out” onto the balcony ................................................... ........................................................ ................................... 327
Evening with green friends .................................................... ........................................................ ................................... 329
Index of plants mentioned in the book .................................................... ........................................................ ..... 332

Oleander - the beauty of this plant is undeniable: it’s as if double roses strewn the delicate tree. For centuries, poets, writers, and artists have sung the magnificence of bright colors:

Cold gold of the moon
The smell of oleander and gillyflower.
It's good to wander among peace
Blue and affectionate country...
S. Yesenin

And botanists are developing more and more new, even more spectacular, varieties of oleander.

But can beauty be given for nothing? This is one of the most poisonous plants on earth. And, before you buy a beautiful oleander in a flower shop, you should get to know it better...

Dangerous and attractive

So, let's find out what is bad and what is good about oleander, where you should not grow this luxurious shrub, and where it will be appropriate.

Carefully:

• As mentioned above, oleander is poisonous, and its poison can be deadly. That is why it is strictly not recommended to place oleander in children's and medical institutions, as well as in those homes where there are small children and animals. Poison is found in all parts of the plant!

[!] Because of the oleander, the army of Alexander the Great suffered huge losses during the conquest of Crimea. The soldiers would string the meat onto the twigs of the plant and eat it. Food, saturated with oleander juice, became deadly.

• Inexperienced gardeners should not grow shrubs: if they work carelessly with the plant, there is a risk of poisoning. All manipulations: pruning, replanting, pinching, etc. must be done only with gloves, avoiding contact of juice with the skin and mucous membranes;
• Since indoor oleander can reach quite impressive sizes (up to one and a half meters or more in height), it is more advisable to place it with high ceilings;
• In addition, the plant has a very intense, albeit pleasant, odor. Therefore, it is highly not recommended to grow it in sleeping areas and rest rooms.

As you can see, oleander is not suitable for all lovers of indoor plants, however, this magnificent beauty also has positive qualities:

• Despite its toxicity, oleander is phytoncidoactive. This means that the plant is able to absorb harmful substances and purify the atmosphere. The air of the room in which the oleander grows will always be clean and fresh;
• Those who believe in the energy of plants believe that oleander has the ability to dispel bad thoughts of a person and gives strength and vigor to its owner. There is no place for bad mood, blues, or negative emotions next to this plant. It is even believed that oleander helps to get rid of bad habits: tobacco addiction and alcoholism. And if you put an oleander in the office, the productivity of the team will increase significantly.

This is how ambiguous he is, this southern handsome man.

For those who have made a firm decision to grow oleander, here are some recommendations and tips.

Description, type and varieties of oleander

Oleander (lat. Nerium) is a spreading shrub with narrow, long leaves of a dense structure of a rich green color. Oleander is most valued for its flowering. The flowers are large and bright, colored, depending on the variety, red, white, pink or yellow.

The origin of the name is not exactly known. According to one theory, the plant is named after the Latin word olea (olive); according to another, it is a combination of two Greek words.

The homeland of oleander is the islands of Greece, Türkiye, Southern Europe. Now oleander is grown in almost all subtropical regions; in Russia it can be seen on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Under natural conditions, the beautifully flowering shrub prefers to settle on the banks of rivers, including dry ones, or near other bodies of water.

In botanical taxonomy, oleander belongs to the genus of the same name, which is monotypic. This means that there is only one species in the genus - the common oleander (lat. Nerium oleander). However, despite this, breeders have developed a large number of very diverse varieties, differing, as a rule, in the color and shape of the flowers.

Light pink:

• "Kewpie" - five-petaled flowers of a delicate creamy pink color;
• "Double Peach" - light coral double flowers;
• 'Martha Hanna Henslee' has light pink flowers with darker veining and a wavy edge.

O. "Kewpie", O. "Double Peach", O. "Martha Hanna Henslee"

Hot pink:

• "Antoine" (Anthony) - pink petals with a pointed tip and purple-red veins;
• "General Pershing" (General Pershing) - a double flower of deep pink color, some petals are decorated with a white pattern;
• “Italia” (Italy) - petals, with edges curled inwards, of a bright red-pink color.

O. "Antoine", O. "General Pershing", O. "Italia"

• "Hardy White" (Hardy White) - simple five-petaled white flowers;
• "Sister Agnes" (Sister Agnes) - snow-white petals with a wavy edge;
• "Album Plenum" (Album Plenum) - large white double flowers with a light yellow center.

O. "Hardy White", O. "Sister Agnes", O. "Album Plenum"

Orange-peach:

• "Sherrie Allen Turner" (Sherrie Allen Turner) - delicate carrot petals with a darker center;
• "Angiolo Pucci" (Angelo Pucci) - graceful flowers of pale yellow-orange color with a bright orange center;
• "Mrs Roeding" (Mrs. Roeding) - lush double flowers of a uniform light salmon color.

O. "Sherrie Allen Turner", O. "Angiolo Pucci", O. "Mrs Roeding"

• "Blue Blanc Red D" (Blue Blanc Red Di) - reddish-pink petals with a bright white pattern along the central vein;
• "Cherry Ripe" - simple five-petal amaranth-colored flowers with a white pistil;
• "Rubis" (Rubis) - densely double, uniformly colored red flowers.

O. "Blue Blanc Red D", O. "Cherry Ripe", O. "Rubis"

• "Maria Gambetta" (Maria Gambetta) - elongated narrow petals of lemon color with a darker center;
• "Luteum Plenum" (Luteum Plenum) - delicate white-yellow double flowers;
• "Mathilde Ferrier" (Matilde Ferrier) - petals with grooved edges and a sharp tip of a light saffron yellow color.

O. "Maria Gambetta", O. "Luteum Plenum", O. "Mathilde Ferrier"

This is only a small part of the collection of oleander varieties. In fact, there are many more of them and more and more appear every year.

Growing and caring for oleander at home

Oleander cannot be classified as too capricious house plants, but there are still some subtleties in caring for the southern flower. This includes organizing a dormant period, proper pruning, and error-free watering. But first things first.

Temperature and rest period

In nature, oleander grows in regions with a subtropical climate: hot summers and cool (5-10 °C) winters. That is why the change of seasons is important for oleander, and the task of the gardener is to organize this cycle.

In summer, the plant can be kept at room temperature 23-27 °C. In autumn, as is the case in nature, the temperature should drop. In winter there comes a period of rest, so the optimal range at this time is 10-12 °C. The minimum temperature at which a southern guest can overwinter is 5 °C.

How to organize all this in a city apartment or house in the temperate latitudes of Russia? We, as a rule, have warm summers, so in July-August the oleander can be taken out into the fresh air, and in the fall, when it gets colder, it can be brought into a closed, cool room and, during the winter, the oleander can be left there. Such a winter room can be a glazed loggia or veranda at home, a hall or office lobby. As a last resort, the plant can be left for the winter in a warm room, but the flowering of such an oleander will be much less lush.

Watering, air humidity and lighting

Just like temperature, the frequency and intensity of watering varies depending on the time of year. In addition, do not forget that in nature oleanders prefer places with high groundwater levels, and therefore there should be enough moisture at home.

Summer watering of the oleander should be plentiful: it should be watered immediately after the top layer of the substrate has dried a little. In autumn, watering is gradually reduced. During the winter months, the shrub requires quite a bit of moisture; the frequency of watering at this time is 1-2 times a week.

To prevent the roots of the plant from getting too cold, use water at room temperature for watering. It is also important to pre-settle the water - excess calcium salts in tap water can harm the delicate oleander.

High air humidity is a fairly serious parameter for growing oleander. A tray with wet pebbles or frequent spraying of the plant leaves will help maintain the necessary humidity.

In the hot subtropics, in the homeland of the southern guest, the sun shines almost all year round. When growing oleander at home, you need to provide the plant with the same intense insolation. The best location would be windows facing south, southeast and southwest. Moreover, bright sunlight is required both in summer and winter.

[!] Due to lack of light, indoor oleander often loses its decorative effect - it stretches out, becomes bald, and blooms sparingly.

If there are no southern windows in the apartment, you can additionally illuminate the plant with phytolamps.

Unlike many other plants, oleander is not afraid of drafts and ventilation; moreover, fresh air is vital for flowering shrubs.

Trimming

In order for the oleander to bloom luxuriantly and bush, it is necessary to prune once a year.

Regarding the timing of pruning, the opinions of Russian flower growers are divided. Some argue that shrubs need to be trimmed in early spring, before the plant awakens. Others talk about autumn pruning, carried out before the dormant period. Both are right - it’s all about the wintering conditions of the oleander. If the shrub spends the winter in a warm room, the best time to form a crown is February-March. Otherwise, the plant will begin to grow actively. If the oleander overwinters in a cool room, you can prune it in the fall.

To form a shrub, oleander branches are cut by half or one third. Subsequently, the pruned shoots begin to branch well, and flowering buds form at their ends. Therefore, the more young branches the oleander has, the more magnificent the flowering will be.

[!] When pruning, be sure to use rubber gloves, and after the procedure, wash all tools thoroughly. Dispose of cut shoots so that animals and children cannot reach them.

Soil, replanting and fertilizing

For planting oleander, nutritious and at the same time sufficiently water- and breathable soil with low acidity is best suited. You can use a purchased universal substrate, adding a little sand to it, or you can prepare the soil mixture yourself by taking two parts of turf soil and one part each of leaf soil, peat and sand.

Replanting is carried out once a year for young plants and once every two to three years for older specimens. The best time to transplant oleander is early spring, before the active growth of the bush. As an alternative to a full transplant, you can get by with more gentle methods: transshipment or renewal of the top layer of soil. To avoid bottom rotting of the roots, do not forget about a sufficient drainage layer - at least a quarter of the total volume of the dishes.

[!] For that. In order for the oleander to bloom magnificently, always plant it in a fairly tight container (1-2 cm larger than the earthen clod). If the volume of soil is too large, rapid growth of green mass will begin to the detriment of flowering.

The best fertilizer for oleander is fertilizer for beautifully flowering plants, such as Bona Forte “For ornamental flowering plants”, Pokon “For flowering plants” and the like. And the optimal time for feeding is from early spring to mid-summer. In autumn and winter, during the dormant period, the oleander is not fertilized.

Oleander propagation

Oleander can be propagated in several ways:

• cuttings,
• seeds,
• air layering.

Let's look at the simplest and most popular of them.

Propagation of oleander by cuttings, perhaps the most basic method, accessible to both beginners and experienced gardeners.

For rooting, the middle cutting is cut off (the apical, non-lignified ones are too tender and are more likely to die) with several buds. Then the cutting is placed in water for about an hour, after which it is dried for 10-15 minutes and planted. The optimal soil for planting cuttings is a mixture of peat and sand; in addition, it is not forbidden to use vermiculite. Root growth can be accelerated by dipping the shoot in a root formation stimulator before planting.

The container with the planted cuttings should be covered with transparent film, a jar or plastic bottle and moved to a warm and bright place. The plant needs to be ventilated approximately once a day and also watered from time to time.

Propagation by seeds- a more complex method. The fact is that the germination rate of oleander seeds is not very high, and not all seeds germinate.

For planting, as a rule, several, always fresh, seeds are taken at once. Before planting, they are soaked for a day in warm water or a solution of water with growth regulators. Then the seeds are laid out on the surface of the peat-sand mixture and sprinkled with the same substrate on top. You cannot bury the seeds too deeply - they will not sprout.

The container with the seeds is moved to a very warm and bright place, the soil is slightly moistened and the first shoots are waited for. Typically, oleander seeds produce their first sprouts two to three weeks after planting. When the seedlings are sufficiently strong and a second pair of full-fledged leaves appears, the seedlings can be planted in a regular substrate, and subsequently cared for as an adult plant.

Reproduction by air layering- too labor-intensive and complex method, suitable only for the most experienced gardeners.

Pests, diseases and growing problems

In addition to common plant diseases caused by improper care (various rots, spots, burns), there is a disease unique to oleander - oleander cancer. The cause of the disease is the phytopathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. nerii, and its main symptom is ugly dark growths on all parts of the oleander. When oleander cancer develops, diseased flowers and leaves usually fall off, affected branches break, and as a result the plant may die.

To date, there are no drugs that completely destroy Pseudomonas. And only preventive measures can prevent this terrible disease:

• processing of tools after trimming,
• timely removal of infected flowers, leaves and shoots.

Leaves fall on the oleander. Almost all plants, even evergreens, renew their green cover every three to four years. If leaf fall is observed in an adult oleander, there is no need to worry - this is a natural process. After some time, new young leaves will grow. When a young plant drops its leaves, it is a symptom of lack of light. What to do: move the bush to a more illuminated place.

The tips of the leaves dry out. The probable cause is dry air. What to do: increase air humidity using the methods suggested above.

Leaves and shoots lose turgor, become lethargic, and the leaf blade turns yellow. More likely. The plant was affected by root rot. What to do: remove the oleander from the pot, carefully examine the roots. If there are rotten areas, trim the root to healthy tissue, completely change the substrate and replant.

Oleander does not bloom. This problem can arise due to several factors: too warm wintering, lack of lighting and moisture, improper pruning or lack thereof. What to do: completely eliminate all of the above circumstances.

Dark needles on young shoots. This is a structural feature of the oleander, which inexperienced gardeners sometimes confuse with insect pests.

Once upon a time, in ancient times, a volcano awoke on a southern island. The sky darkened with ash, hot lava flowed through the streets of the city, and stones fell from the sky, killing all living things. Neither people nor animals could escape - their path was blocked by a large lake. And then the son of the gods, Oleander, decided to help the unfortunate people. He drank up the lake and cleared the way. The people escaped, but Oleander died under the lava, unable to move. In honor of the heroic deed of the brave young man, a wonderful shrub growing on the shores of deep lakes was named...

(2 ratings, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Description of the species In a city apartment or private house, only one species is grown - the common oleander. In addition, there are also garden varieties of the plant. They are distinguished by a greater strength of smell and very double flowers. The plant belongs to the Kutrovaceae family. Its homeland is the Mediterranean, but oleander can be found in Japan and North Africa. The plant looks like a bush with straight stems. However, the oleander can noticeably expand in width and height and occupy significant space. The narrow leathery leaves are very reminiscent of willow. They have a distinct main vein. Flowering occurs in summer. Flowers can be pure white, soft pink, bright red or yellow, and can be double to varying degrees. They are collected in carpal inflorescences and have a surprisingly fragrant aroma. However, it is better not to place oleander in the bedroom during flowering, otherwise you may get up in the morning with severe headaches. Oleander is poisonous (especially the seeds and juice), so any work must be done with gloves. How to care for Oleander? People with minimal experience in floriculture can grow the plant at home. Humidity In nature, oleander grows in areas with high humidity. That is why the air around the plant must be constantly sprayed. Watering and air humidity In summer, watering should be plentiful. For this, extremely soft, settled water at room temperature is used. If the flower is exposed to direct sunlight, there must always be water in the pan. In winter, during the dormant period, the frequency of watering decreases. As for air humidity, it will be moderate, and the plant does not require any spraying. However, spraying can still be used if the air is extremely dry. This will be indicated by yellowed tips of the leaves. In hot weather, the flower can be washed periodically in the shower. This will revitalize and refresh it. Temperature The location should be warm but well ventilated in summer and cool in winter. Winter temperatures will be 8-12 degrees. In warmer conditions, the plant is threatened by shedding its leaves and flowers. In addition, the affected oleander will not bloom the following year. In summer, the optimal temperature will be 22-27 degrees. If conditions permit, in the summer you can take the flower outside and bury it near a pond directly in the pot. Lighting Lighting should be maximum. If the plant does not get enough light, it begins to shed its leaves. Feeding The flower needs to be fed weekly with complex fertilizers for flowering plants. Mullein infusion will be a good fertilizer. Growing and propagation Flowers are usually propagated by cuttings. To do this, the cutting is placed in a bottle of water, into which pieces of charcoal are previously placed. If there is no coal, you can use burnt matches. This will prevent rotting. The neck of the bottle must be plugged with cotton wool. In just a few days, roots will appear. After this, the cuttings should be planted in small pots. Oleander can also be propagated by seeds, which are planted in sand or peat in the spring. Crops should be covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm place. They need to be regularly ventilated and watered. Practice shows that seedlings may not retain maternal characteristics, and the first flowering is observed within a year. Replanting a flower For oleander, soil made up of humus, peat and turf, taken in equal parts, is ideal. Garden soil is also suitable, but provided that the environment is neutral or slightly acidic. In addition, sand and leaf soil can be added to the substrate. Young plants need to be replanted every year, adults – once every 1-3 years. Transplantation is carried out in the spring, preferably in March or April, by simple transshipment. You can also remove the top layer of soil and replace it. When replanting, it is important to trim the roots slightly. So, oleander is an easy to grow and incredibly beautiful ornamental plant. However, it is poisonous, but for many this is not a problem. Mystics, for example, believe that poisonous oleander blocks the desire to drink alcohol or smoke and helps get rid of these vices. Plant pruning Young plants are not pruned. In mature bushes, faded shoots are pruned off in the fall. There is no need to trim wilted inflorescences before the dormant period, because in spring they will be the first to bloom. Don't be afraid of pruning. Even if you overdo it a little, the oleander will still survive. Pruning will make the oleander more well-groomed and beautiful in shape. Diseases and pests Oleander, despite its toxicity, is susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, as well as damage from scale insects, aphids, spider mites, and scale insects.