Oleander is a plant of which natural zone. Indoor oleander propagation and care at home

Oleander is a perennial evergreen shrub with elongated leathery leaves, brownish stems and bright fragrant flowers. The plant is native to western China, Morocco and the tropical zones of Portugal. It is not recommended to keep African plants indoors, as they emit harmful fumes that cause dizziness and headaches.

The flower adapted for indoor conditions was grown in southern Europe. Caring for such an oleander is quite simple, but requires following certain recommendations.

Oleander or pink laurel - description, photo

The oleander is called pink laurel because its brown stems are strewn with the same dark green, leathery, pointed leaves as those of laurel.

In nature, a tree grows up to four meters. At home, an oleander bush can grow up to two meters. That is why it is recommended to keep it in spacious rooms with good lighting.

Beautiful fragrant pink laurel flowers are collected in racemes and can be single or double. In the photo in our gallery you can see plants that have yellow, red, pink and white flowers.

When growing oleander, you should be aware that the plant contains poisonous sap. Therefore, you should take care of it very carefully. It is not recommended to place the flower in the bedroom, in a room where children and pets will live, and when pruning a bush It is recommended to wear gloves, and cover your face.

But oleander can also be very useful. Experts noted that in the house where this beautiful flower has settled there is significantly less waste and toxins.

Types of oleander - photo

The plant is divided into three types:

Common oleander.
Indian.
Fragrant.

In turn, the common oleander has many varieties with different flower colors. Classic plant varieties have white, yellow, red and pink color. The flowers of hybrid varieties can be huge snow-white and lush crimson, plain and variegated.

Indian and fragrant oleanders cannot boast of such a variety of varieties, however, this does not mean that there is nothing interesting in them.

For example, the Indian oleander blooms from June to October with large five-petaled, bright flowers with a sweet smell, which can be yellow, red, pink, or white. The fragrant oleander grows to only 50 centimeters and has a wonderful smell.

Oleander - care and cultivation

Pink laurel is an unpretentious plant, which even a novice gardener can grow at home.

In order for a plant to grow well and bloom luxuriantly, it needs good lighting. Windows facing southeast are best suited for this. When the flower is located on the north side or in the back of the room, the lack of light can be compensated for by artificial lighting.

In summer, it is recommended to take the oleander outside or into the loggia. In this case, the plant must be protected from precipitation and direct sunlight. In the winter season, a flower backlight required fluorescent lamps. Daylight should last eight hours, and the lamps should be located no closer than seventy centimeters from the bush.

Optimal conditions for growing oleander

Pink laurel loves moist air, stable temperatures and well-fertilized soil. Therefore, when caring for it at home, it is necessary follow some rules.

Transplanting and pruning oleander

Immediately after purchasing a plant, it is required from peat transplant into fertile substrate, which can be of several types:

a mixture of garden soil, manure and peat;
a mixture of humus and clay.

Young plants are replanted every spring, and adults - every two or three years.

For proper transplantation you need:

Place a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot, which can be gravel, expanded clay or small pebbles.
Sprinkle a small amount of soil mixture in the second layer.
Carefully remove the flower from the old container and place it on the substrate.
Add the required amount of soil around the roots of the plant and at the same time press it against the roots.

After the bush is planted, it must be watered abundantly.

In order for the oleander to bloom profusely, when caring for it, do not forget that the plant requires regular pruning. This procedure is carried out immediately after flowering, and the branches should be cut to half their entire length.

Wilted petals must be removed carefully without damaging the inflorescences, which may produce repeat flowers.

Possible problems when growing oleander

Growing any plant at home, including oleander, will not always be problem-free. A flower can be destroyed by improper care or maintenance, diseases, or pests.

Therefore it is necessary study the main problems, which gardeners most often encounter when caring for indoor oleander:

With proper care and proper humidity and temperature conditions, such problems should not arise.

Oleander propagation methods

Propagate oleander at home there are three ways:

air layering;
cuttings;
seeds.

Reproduction by layering

Propagation by air layering is a fairly simple and effective method. For roots to appear, you need to cut the branch, remove the bark and lower the allotted area in a container of water or into wet sand.

After the roots appear, the branch is cut off from the main plant and planted in the prepared earthen mixture.

Oleander cuttings

The plant propagates using cuttings in spring or autumn. To do this, shoots are cut from the bush, the length of which should be about 15 centimeters. For rooting, you can use cuttings left after trimming the oleander.

Cutting locations are needed treat with coal powder, and place the cuttings in a mixture of sand, perlite and charcoal.

The container with the planted cuttings should be placed in a well-lit room with a stable temperature. To prevent the cuttings from rotting, watering should be moderate.

After about a month, the shoots will give roots, and they can be transplanted into a mixture with equal proportions of peat soil, turf, sand and humus.

Propagation by seeds

Oleander seeds have low germination rate, so it is recommended to sow them immediately after collection.

Before planting, the seed material is soaked for thirty minutes in a weak solution of fungicide or potassium permanganate. After this, they should be kept for an hour in Heteroauxin solution or Zircon.

Seeds should be sown superficially in the same soil mixture in which the oleander grows. The temperature in the room where the seeds will germinate should be between 30-35C. If the temperature is lower, the seeds may rot or the emergence of seedlings will be delayed for a long time. Under favorable conditions, seedlings germinate in 10-12 days.

Caring for emerging seedlings includes:

After 4-5 true leaves appear, young oleander sprouts are planted in separate pots.

Growing and even propagating oleander at home is not at all difficult. This unpretentious plant, with proper care, will delight and surprise for a long time with its beautiful, bright and lush flowering.

Evergreen oleander plant

Despite the fact that this type of oleander is called “ordinary,” it turned out to be a real storehouse of various surprises, surprises and contradictions. Let's start with the appearance. Oleander is an impressive plant, reaching four meters in height; botanists classify it as a shrub. The fact is that all woody plants that do not have a clearly defined trunk and side branches are considered shrubs. This is what wild oleander looks like. And although it is possible by pruning to ensure that its appearance is in no way different from a tree, for a botanist it will still remain a bush...

We have already said that oleander, like our willow, prefers the banks of reservoirs: apparently, its distant ancestors were moisture-loving plants. You might think that this is a sissy plant, for which even a short-term drought will be dangerous. But no - it turns out that in the course of evolution it has perfectly adapted to droughts. Its bare dark green leaves with short petioles can withstand even the famous Mediterranean sirocco - a prolonged dry and hot wind that is destructive for many plants. The point here is in the structure of the stomata of the leaves.

It is not easy to detect stomata on a leaf, even the largest one: with the naked eye, only rows of some white dots are visible on its surface. Under a magnifying glass you can see that these are tufts of white hairs that grow from some kind of pits. And only after carefully examining these pits under a microscope, you can find tiny holes at the bottom - these are stomata. By hiding them at the very bottom of the pits, and also protecting them with hairs, the oleander prevents excessive evaporation of water during summer droughts or drying sirocco. The leaf evaporates much less water than the leaves of other, less drought-resistant plants.

Be careful - oleander!

Although oleander entered a person’s home a long time ago, it should be handled with extreme caution. Even the aroma of the beautiful pinkish-white flowers of this plant, for example in a poorly ventilated room or in an oleander grove, can cause severe headaches, dizziness, and weakness in people. And oleander juice is especially dangerous for humans.

They say that once in Italy a group of French soldiers, unsuspectingly, roasted meat on skewers made from freshly picked plant branches. Of the twelve soldiers who took part in this meal, eight died from poisonous oleander juice. This story does not prevent tourists and hunters who are going to barbecue somewhere on the Black Sea coast from remembering it. The same danger of poisoning awaits us when we eat a by-product, so to speak, of the oleander - honey collected by bees from its flowers.

True, sometimes nature lovers can be misled by birds. Completely oblivious to the poisonous properties of the oleander, starlings, warblers, linnets and greenfinches hunt insects in its branches as if nothing had happened, and golden bee-eaters and common starlings catch bees collecting poisonous honey with impunity. Freshly picked leaves and thin branches of oleander have been found more than once in the nests of the European honey beetle. This feathered predator builds its nests from green branches, and then, as they dry out, replaces them with fresh ones. And it turned out that honey buzzards nesting on the Black Sea coast of Crimea and the Caucasus even prefer oleander branches when choosing building material for their nests.

It is known that many of the most poisonous plants are a valuable source of medicines. The common oleander is no exception. All its organs contain potent biologically active substances - glycosides. They give the oleander poisonous properties, and in small doses they also have a healing effect.

Oleander glycosides are derivatives of. A total of five glycosides were found in its leaves, of which oleandrin has the greatest medical significance - it acts on the heart in much the same way as digitalis preparations, but faster. From oleander leaves, both the total preparation of glycosides - cornerin - and the preparation neriolin, containing only oleandrin, are obtained; both of them are used for acute and chronic circulatory failure and especially for mitral valve defects with atrial fibrillation.

An antibiotic, oleandromycin, was also found in oleander leaves (just do not confuse it with another, more well-known antibiotic, oleandomycin: it has nothing to do with oleander, but is produced by fungi). Oleandromycin is active against staphylococci resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics. And since we are talking about medicine, in conclusion we will give some advice in case someone accidentally gets poisoned by oleander juice. Glycosides, like many other plant poisons, act very quickly, and assistance to the victim must be provided immediately.

First aid for poisoning with oleander poison

At the first symptoms of poisoning with oleander poison (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, slow pulse, which later becomes intermittent, cyanosis of the skin, the appearance of convulsions), you must immediately take measures to remove the poison from the stomach. Then the patient should be laid face down and his feet should be warmed by vigorous rubbing or a heating pad. To prevent the absorption of poison into the blood, substances are given that make the poison insoluble, for example, a mixture of three egg whites with a glass of water or, even better, two glasses of milk; after 20-30 minutes you need to induce vomiting again. The patient should not be given any food or especially alcohol. It is also advisable to preserve the remains of the poisonous plant, which was presumably or undoubtedly the cause of the poisoning: this will help the doctor make the correct diagnosis.

However, if you thoroughly study the characteristic signs of a poisonous oleander in advance, human encounters with it - both at home and in a living laboratory of nature - will always be conflict-free.

V. Kharchenko, K. Feldberg

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Grape

In gardens and personal plots, you can choose a warmer place for planting grapes, for example, on the sunny side of the house, garden pavilion, or veranda. It is recommended to plant grapes along the border of the site. The vines formed in one line will not take up much space and at the same time will be well lit from all sides. Near buildings, grapes must be placed so that they are not exposed to water flowing from the roofs. On level areas it is necessary to make ridges with good drainage due to drainage furrows. Some gardeners, following the experience of their colleagues from the western regions of the country, dig deep planting holes and fill them with organic fertilizers and fertilized soil. The holes, dug in waterproof clay, are a kind of closed vessel that is filled with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile soil, the root system of grapes develops well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, it suffocates. Deep holes can play a positive role on soils where good natural drainage, permeable subsoil is provided, or reclamation artificial drainage is possible. Planting grapes

You can quickly restore an outdated grape bush using the layering method (“katavlak”). For this purpose, healthy vines of a neighboring bush are placed in grooves dug to the place where the dead bush used to grow, and covered with earth. The top is brought to the surface, from which a new bush then grows. Lignified vines are laid on layering in the spring, and green ones - in July. They are not separated from the mother bush for two to three years. A frozen or very old bush can be restored by short pruning to healthy above-ground parts or by pruning to the “black head” of an underground trunk. In the latter case, the underground trunk is freed from the ground and completely cut down. Not far from the surface, new shoots grow from dormant buds, due to which a new bush is formed. Neglected and severely frost-damaged grape bushes are restored due to stronger fatty shoots formed in the lower part of the old wood and the removal of weakened sleeves. But before removing the sleeve, a replacement is formed. Grape care

A gardener starting to grow grapes needs to thoroughly study the structure of the grapevine and the biology of this interesting plant. Grapes are vine (climbing) plants and require support. But it can spread along the ground and take root, as is observed with Amur grapes in a wild state. The roots and aboveground part of the stem grow quickly, branch strongly and reach large sizes. Under natural conditions, without human intervention, a branched bush of grapes grows with many vines of different orders, which begins to bear fruit late and produces crops irregularly. In cultivation, grapes are shaped and the bushes are given a shape that is easy to care for, ensuring a high yield of high-quality bunches. Planting lemongrass

Schisandra chinensis, or schisandra, has several names - lemon tree, red grapes, gomisha (Japanese), cochinta, kozyanta (Nanai), kolchita (Ulch), usimtya (Udege), uchampu (Oroch). In terms of structure, systemic relationship, center of origin and distribution, Schisandra chinensis has nothing in common with the real citrus plant lemon, but all its organs (roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, berries) exude the aroma of lemon, hence the name Schisandra. The schisandra vine that clings or wraps around a support, along with Amur grapes and three types of actinidia, is an original plant of the Far Eastern taiga. Its fruits, like real lemons, are too sour to be consumed fresh, but they have medicinal properties and a pleasant aroma, and this has attracted a lot of attention to it. The taste of Schisandra chinensis berries improves somewhat after frost. Local hunters who consume such fruits claim that they relieve fatigue, invigorate the body and improve vision. The consolidated Chinese Pharmacopoeia, compiled back in 1596, states: “the fruit of Chinese lemongrass has five tastes, classified as the first category of medicinal substances. The pulp of lemongrass is sour and sweet, the seeds are bitter and astringent, and in general the taste of the fruit is salty. Thus, All five tastes are present in it." Grow lemongrass

Which adorns a good half of office buildings, and is also found regularly in residential apartments. This is an ornamental perennial shrub that belongs to the Kutrov family. There are many legends and myths associated with it, and housewives who grow oleander in their living rooms sometimes don’t even know whether this flower is poisonous or not. But it was precisely this property that gave rise to the legend about warriors who cooked their dinner on its long leaves. Needless to say, none of them woke up in the morning.

Outside and inside

This is a very attractive plant with fragrant flowers, but it is not recommended to grow it indoors. It is much better to leave the giant for office hallways, where no one would think of breaking off a twig. Even if you don't have small children or pets, the fumes can be dangerous and cause headaches. Of course, a small plant in the living room is unlikely to do any harm, but if it is in a tiny bedroom that is rarely ventilated, then a negative effect on your body is quite possible.

What should you be afraid of?

Even the most dangerous plants can only have certain parts that are toxic. But that's not what oleander is like. Whether it is poisonous or not is better not to check in practice. All parts of the plant can cause poisoning. Even when dried, they retain toxins. Leaves and stems and roots, but especially dangerous is the fresh and dried juice that is released when cut. If it gets into the eyes, it leads to blindness, and vision cannot be restored. But the most harm will happen if the juice gets into the digestive tract. Even a tiny amount leads to the fact that a person can die without quality and timely help. This is the handsome oleander. Poisonous or not, now there is no doubt. And for the safety of curious kids, it is better to “evict” the plant to one of your friends.

Origin

Where did the “pink laurel” come to us from? This shrub with leathery leaves, brownish stems and bright flowers came from Morocco. Most flower growers didn’t even know whether oleander was poisonous or not, but fell in love with the plant for its ease of cultivation. Its homeland is the western part of China, and it is also found in Portugal. Like many other African plants, it is not recommended to be used for growing in closed, small spaces, so that harmful fumes do not affect the health of household members.

Why "pink laurel"

In fact, it is a completely different plant, but has similar features to laurel. Its brown stems are strewn with the same dark green, leathery, pointed leaves. In nature, it grows twice as tall as a person. At home, it does not exceed two meters, but only if you provide good lighting, a large pot and fertilizing. Therefore, it is recommended to install it in spacious halls and lobbies with good lighting. Poisonous plant or not, oleander is so beloved by gardeners that no one is going to give it up.

Decorative flowering shrub

Beautiful, fragrant corollas are collected in carpal inflorescences. They can be simple or terry. Today there are quite a few varieties, so the shoot you purchase may please you with yellow or red, pink or white panicles. Of course, the double oleander can be considered the most beautiful. Whether the plant is poisonous or not is now known for certain. Toxic sap makes all parts of it dangerous. Therefore, you need to care for it very carefully. Even an experienced gardener must take certain precautions and wear gloves and a mask when interacting with a plant.

But there are also positive aspects. In addition to its decorative function, oleander also purifies the air very well. This means that the room in which he settled will have much less waste and toxins.

Plant varieties

The poisonous oleander flower is:

Ordinary.
Indian.
Fragrant.

But that is not all. In turn, the common oleander has many varieties. Hybrids are especially good. Their flowers reach enormous sizes, are lush, monochromatic and variegated.

Indian oleander cannot boast of such a variety of shapes and colors, but this does not lose its attractiveness. But it blooms from June to October with large and very fragrant flowers. They can be yellow, red, pink or white.

Growing and care

Pink laurel is an unpretentious plant that even a novice gardener can grow. When choosing room decor, it is important to know in advance whether oleander is poisonous. If there are cats in the house, then you need to take into account their passion for tasting plants. Saving the animal in this case will be quite difficult.

In order for an oleander to grow and develop well, it really needs lighting. If the pot is located at the back of the room, then artificial light will do. South-east windows are best suited for placement. For lush and abundant flowering, it is recommended to take the pot out onto the loggia in the summer. At the same time, do not forget to protect the plant from precipitation and direct sunlight. Daylight must last at least eight hours, otherwise the buds will not form.

Conditions

Indoor oleander is poisonous, but this does not prevent it from remaining the most favorite plant among thousands of gardeners. In order for it to grow truly beautiful, you need to find suitable conditions for it. Pink laurel loves moist air, stable temperatures and nutritious soil. You should not ignore these requirements, because otherwise the plant will not bloom. So, when leaving, you must comply with the following conditions:

The air temperature in the summer should not be lower than 23 degrees.
With the onset of winter, it is important to lower it to 10 degrees and ensure a period of rest.
The plant requires abundant watering. Therefore, immediately after the top layer of soil dries, it is necessary to moisten it.
But with the onset of autumn, you can safely reduce watering. Monitor the condition of the soil, usually twice a week is enough.
The water must be defended. Don't neglect this rule.
The soil should not become acidified, so first of all you need to provide the pot with good drainage and loose soil, and secondly, do not overwater it.
Oleander does not like dry air, so in hot weather it is necessary to spray the plant.
In early spring and summer it needs feeding. Choose any option for decorative flowering plants.

Replanting and pruning

Do not forget that this is not a harmless chlorophytum, but an oleander. The toxic properties of the plant must be taken into account in any interaction with it, be it replanting or pruning. Gloves and a mask are required, and after finishing work, all tools must be rinsed, clothes washed, and hands washed with soap. And don't let children near him.

However, the plant will still have to be replanted. To do this, you need to prepare a nutrient substrate, which may consist of garden soil, manure and peat. Young oleanders are replanted as they grow out of the pot, sometimes several times a year. In order for the plant to bloom well, it is necessary to cut all branches exactly in half immediately after flowering. This will make room for new growth, and the bush below will not become bare.

Possible consequences of negligence

According to doctors, even one leaf of the plant can lead to tragedy. In Israel, he once almost caused the death of six girls. Expecting the leaves to have a narcotic effect, they chewed a small piece. The girls were found on time and taken to intensive care. They did not know that oleander is a poisonous plant. Treatment for poisoning is symptomatic, but first of all you need to remove toxins from the body.

If any part of the plant is ingested, rapid deterioration of the condition, slowing of the heartbeat, bloody diarrhea, loss of consciousness, and cessation of breathing are observed. But the beauty of its flowers is so attractive that no one will refuse to have such a plant at home. The exception is if children, kittens or puppies live in the same territory as him. They are all too curious.

Possible problems during cultivation

Despite all its unpretentiousness, it is quite easy to destroy a flower. Therefore, let's devote a few words to the most common problems that flower growers regularly face.

Situation number one - the leaves dry out. Most likely, it lacks moisture or the air is too dry.
The plant sheds its leaves. The reason for this may be low room temperature. Therefore, even in summer you need to keep an eye on it, and on cold nights it is better to bring the flower indoors.
Yellow spots on the leaves indicate improper fertilization or excessive watering.
Lack of flowering most often indicates a lack of light. Oleander can shed buds after watering with cold water or at low indoor temperatures.
Black dots on the leaves indicate that the plant is affected by fungal diseases.
White clumps are thrips, spider mites and other pests. It is necessary to use special insecticides.

Plant propagation

Even beginners do not have any problems with this. There are three effective methods, from which you can choose the one you like best:

During pruning, there are always cuttings left that are capable of rooting. The cut area must be treated with charcoal powder and placed in a mixture of sand, perlite and charcoal. In about a month, with good lighting and regular watering, they will sprout roots.
Air layering. Another great way to get new plants. In this case, you need to cut a branch, remove the bark from it and lower this place into damp sand or a bag of water. After the roots appear, you can cut the branch and plant it in the mixture prepared for it.
Propagation by seeds. This is a rather problematic method because they have low germination rates. Before planting, the material is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and kept in Zircon, this gives a chance of success.

Instead of a conclusion

Whether the oleander flower is poisonous or not, there will always be people who want to plant it at home. There's really nothing wrong with that. If all family members are adults, and the room is quite spacious, then the oleander will be a wonderful decoration. You just need to be careful when caring for the plant, replanting it and pruning it. Then the plant will regularly delight you with beautiful flowers.

Oleander has only one “but” - it is poisonous in all parts of its above-ground and underground manifestations.

Homeland of the poisonous plant

Oleander - what is it? Everyone who has vacationed in subtropical resorts has definitely seen the festively blooming bushes of this plant from the Cutraceae family.

The Crimean health resort - Yalta, according to holidaymakers, is symbolically connected with oleander, there is so much of it in the city's decorative plantings. In open ground, these flowering bushes are grown in our country and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

To the north, oleander is common only in greenhouse plantings and as a houseplant.

There is only one cultural form of this plant, and it is called “common” oleander.(but not “Indian” or “fragrant”).

True, the creation of a synonymous series could not be done without popular names: “downer” (based on the characteristics of the seeds), “polokhovets”, “scarecrow” (with an eye to toxicity), “polokhovets”, “laurel rose” (based on the brightness and original beauty of the inflorescence ), "leander" (shortened version of the main name).

Onomastics interprets the name “oleander” as a combination of the Greek roots “oleo” - olive and “andros” - man. This was the name of the legendary Greek youth, who at the cost of his life saved his people from a volcanic eruption, and, in memory of this feat, was forever turned into an oleander bush.

Oleander - poisonous or not? The flower is an exquisite decorative item; its pleasant aroma hides the poisonous properties that are dangerous to humans, which were known already in the distant past, but only in the 19th century was the substance that gave the stems, leaves and flowers exceptional toxicity - the glycoside oleandrin - finally discovered.

Medicine has found a rational use for it in the creation of pharmaceutical forms that stimulate the heart.

Interesting: In the Middle Ages, ordinary people of the Mediterranean used homemade powder made from dried oleander bark as protection against rats, and oleander tincture in alcohol was used in the form of lotions to help with snake bites.

The obvious benefits of a decorative flower

Oleander is a poisonous plant, but poisons in microdoses have been treating people for a long time. This happened with oleandrin, which began to be used in cardiology, folk medicine, and veterinary medicine:

Reference: Growing oleander at home helps to overcome the seasonal blues, since the flowering of the bush maintains the illusion of the continuation of summer.

Representation of oleander in the description

General form

Common oleander can also take on a tree-like form up to 4 meters high, but more often - this is a bush with branching shoots coming from the very root.

An evergreen bush that has not reached the flowering stage resembles young willow shoots. Woody shoots are covered with rough gray-olive or brownish bark.

Indoor oleander grows up to 2 meters. Such a “giant” is classified as a “large soil” plant, so over time it will need a tub, not a pot.

High growth rates and proper pruning can turn a potted plant into a lush, richly leafy bush that can delight you with flowers within a year.

The lifespan of a houseplant oleander is limited to 15 years, but with constant rejuvenation during the transplantation process, this period is difficult to accurately determine.

Leaves

The smooth leathery leaf blade has a lanceolate shape, the upper side is darker than the lower. The length of the leaf is lined with a light central vein.

Large-sized (up to 14 cm long) dark green oleander leaves sit on the stem in groups (3 each), attached with short petioles. Their arrangement is characterized as whorled.

The plant is perfectly adapted to saving moisture: the edge of the leaf is turned up, small white hairs cover the stomata of the leaf from intense evaporation due to the dry hot wind. During growth, the lower leaves usually fall off.

Reproductive organ

The oleander flower is bisexual, regular in shape, has a double perianth and a corolla of five petals (double varieties have more). The flower is usually formed on young shoots of the first year of life.

There are white oleander, red and even yellow, but the most common color is soft pink, which is why the oleander is called “laurel rose”. The aroma is floral, pleasant.

In the funnel-shaped recess there is a gynoecium with a stigmatic head and 5 long stamens hanging over the stigma with anthers. To penetrate the nectary (ovary), the pollinating insect needs to have a long proboscis.

Only Hymenoptera have such an apparatus. One of the butterflies that constantly pollinates the downy feathers even received a name - the oleander hawk moth.

Flower diameter up to 5 cm., but what gives the bush a special beauty is that the flowers are collected in raceme inflorescences. The flowering phase is usually extended to 5 months (from May to September or from June to October), on the bush the opened flowers are adjacent to the buds, so the impression of continuous flowering is created.

Oleander fruits

The plant is characterized by the most primitive type of fruit - multi-seeded leaflet, which is an elongated 15 cm. a pod-like formation in which numerous seeds ripen.

Ripening is associated with the appearance of a hairy tuft on each seed (for efficient reproduction in natural conditions).

Important: Laurel rose is a guest from the southern reaches, so its sensitivity to a drop in temperature is higher than to a lack of sunlight. Even if at home it can be grown on the windowsill of a window facing north, then when the temperature drops below 20°C, the oleander will refuse to bloom or even drop its leaves.

Gallery

You can see a photo of an indoor oleander flower below:

Oleander - care and cultivation at home

Oleander - can you keep it at home? Oleander flower can be kept in the house, but first you need to evaluate the room.

Conditions should not contribute to the manifestation of the poisonous nature of the plant:

sufficient room volume;
good ventilation (no drafts);
optimal illumination, possibility of illumination in winter;
general functionality (without the constant presence of a person - work, sleep, play for children).

How to grow oleander at home? To start choosing a container for planting oleander. The flower is poisonous and if we are talking about sowing, the volume of a glass will be enough.

Considering the intensity of growth, this is already the first time for the seedling the flower pot must be large enough (up to 12 liters). Each subsequent one should exceed the volume of the plant’s root ball by 2-3 times.

In the first years of life, the indoor bush can still be displayed on a sunny day on the balcony or taken out to the country. The floor-mounted version is not transportable.

Soil preparation. The plant prefers balanced, well-drained soil with an acidity no higher than pH-7.8. A store-bought mixture for indoor flowers is perfect.

If the composition is prepared independently, take:

1 part garden turf;
1 part perlite or river sand;
1 part leaf humus or peat;
10g. lime onto a bucket of mixture.

The soil prepared in this way must be sterilized.: warm up for 1.5 hours in a water bath.

Choosing a landing method:

seeds;
stem cuttings;
a purchased seedling (the plant - both the root system and the crown - must fit within the pot).

In the latter case, you just have to trust the seller to determine the tone of future colors. And further: the specificity of the substrate in a purchased pot sometimes leads to the death of the plant after replanting. The health of a purchased bush can be determined by the thickness of its branches and the density of the crown.

It is worth inspecting it for pests. As you can see, growing oleander at home is difficult, but quite possible.

Important: In a family with small children and animals, the risk of poisoning increases many times over. Maybe we should stop growing this controversial flower? Think!

In addition, you can grow oleander in the garden. Now that you know how to plant an oleander flower, home care is the next topic we will cover in this article.

Caring for a tropical beauty

How to care for oleander at home? Flower growers believe that oleander is not very burdensome to care for, but for its regular flowering a system of agrotechnical measures is necessary:

When to prune oleander at home? When the oleander bush is too overgrown.

Trimming and shaping oleander at home is used:

sanitary (removal of twisted and dead branches);
to form a crown (optimally - three trunks);
to increase flowering shoots;
to restore the plant after the flowering phase (late summer).

In any case, even radical ones, leafy branches should remain on the bush. Oleander does not bloom - what to do?

The flowering of laurel roses stimulates the removal of future shoots (small leaf buds) that appear at the base of the generative buds (larger and rounder). Faded inflorescences are not cut off, but faded flowers are plucked out.

Why doesn't the oleander bloom? Either it has already faded, or the plant has withered. If it is necessary to give life to a withered plant, cut off even thick shoots by 20 cm. from the root: the oleander will come to life, but will bloom only after 2 years.

Compliance with the system of replanting the oleander plant into a new container, due to its rapid growth:

Choosing a pot that is disproportionate to the plant can lead to increased vegetation of the root system to the detriment of the development of ground structures.

The overgrown “old-timers”, which are already difficult to replant, are replenished with fertile fertilized soil.

Feeding the oleander begins 2 months before the flowering phase and lasts throughout this period. You can apply complex fertilizers for indoor flowers, purchased at the store. Feeding regime - 1 time per week.

All agrotechnical activities with oleander are carried out, due to its toxicity, with gloves, being careful not to get milky juice on the mucous membrane.
The tool must be washed after trimming.
The cut parts of the plant are thrown away, packed in a plastic bag.
Burning branches and leaves produces toxic emissions with smoke. Therefore, you cannot throw oleander branches either into the fireplace or into the grill.

Reproduction methods

In this section we will talk about how to propagate oleander at home.

Sowing

Sowing is carried out in the spring so that the main phase of plant development occurs in summer.

For successful seed germination you need:

nutrient substrate of peat, soil and perlite (1/3);
not direct sunlight;
t air = 22◦C; humidity - 80-100%.

The seeds are lightly pressed into the substrate, leaving them in the light. Germination should occur in 1-3 months.

Attention! The seedling is ready for transplanting when its first two leaves are formed. Thus, after some time you will be able to get a full-fledged oleander.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings 15 cm long are prepared from semi-lignified stems. Leave 3 leaves on top of the planting material (the rest are cut in half).

The lower end of the cutting is treated in “Heteroauxin” or “Kornevin” and left in a container with water until roots appear. Conditions for the formation of the root system up to the planting norm (3cm):

After transplanting into the substrate, caring for the plant is carried out according to general recommendations.

The advantage of the method of propagating oleander by cuttings is the complete preservation of the varietal heredity of the mother plant.

At the beginning of sowing, it is necessary to carefully monitor the oleander.

Diseases and pests

Despite its toxicity, the plant is completely defenseless against:

pests;
fungus;
bacteria;
a sharp drop in temperature.

Oleander has many pests: aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites suck juice from leaves, disrupting photosynthesis.

Thus, if you are tormented by the question: “Oleander is shedding leaves - what to do?”, then we advise you to first carefully examine the plant, perhaps it is the pests that are not allowing it to live in peace.

Due to pests, the plant can become vulnerable to bacteria and fungal spores.

Pests appear more often in winter, in conditions of dry, stagnant air. Some of them can be easily removed with a cotton swab moistened with a solution of laundry soap (aphids, mealybugs, spider mites) and a warm shower with garlic infusion, or an unexpected neighborhood (with flowering geraniums or ladybugs brought from nature).

Another method: applying fertilizers and changing the agricultural background, including spraying with Actellik solution (0.15%).

Important: Despite their toxicity, oleander leaves are very sensitive to chemicals. Therefore, where you can do without chemicals, it is better to use biological or mechanical protection.

Oleander diseases are fungal or bacterial in nature, and sometimes mixed.

Signs that the oleander is sick:

If fungal diseases can still be treated by removing sporulation centers and inhibiting the growth of hyphae, then bacterial infections often lead to the slow death of the plant. Therefore, until the reasons are determined, the affected plant must be isolated.

And, having started to save it, take decisive measures, removing the affected areas of branches and stems, disinfecting the equipment used, using Bordeaux mixture for treatment.

Even though the fame of the bad guy (oleander) is rather gloomy, the beauty of a flowering bush grown on its own redeems everything. And don’t be overly frightened by its aroma - it can only lead to headaches if you breathe it in for a long time or sleep in a room with this flower.

And with some forethought and caution, oleander can become the pride of your flower collection, a guardian at home, or a successful gift for your boss.

Useful video

You can learn more tips on caring for oleander at home from the video below: