Oleander flower is a sun-loving subtropical shrub that grows green all year round. It is used for landscaping, growing in greenhouses and apartments. The flower is famous for its delicate pleasant aroma and beautiful flowers. The second name of the plant is "pink laurel."
Oleander flower indoor
Oleander nerium oleander is an evergreen perennial shrub with a magnificent appearance. It is a representative of the Kurtov family. The Latin name is "nerion", translated as "wet." In warm regions, oleander, due to the variety of shapes and colors, has become a popular decorative plant for landscape design.
Oleander in nature
There are three main types of oleander. At home, the oleander ordinary is often cultivated. A beautiful flower perfectly decorates the home interior. A tall plant can reach two meters in height, taking a tree shape. The growth of a room oleander should be regulated by cropping.
Oleander is credited with mystical properties to clean the energy of the house, rid of bad habits and promote career success. The fact that a plant cleans indoor air from harmful impurities is a proven scientific fact.
Strongly poisonous oleander, dangerous or not, no one knows for sure. It is known that poison is found in roots, flowers, leaves. It is advisable to wash your hands thoroughly after caring for the bush and wear gloves to trim. These measures are enough to protect.
Room oleander
Only when eating parts of an oleander plant can symptoms of true poisoning appear. Therefore, the plant is not suitable for rooms where children and pets live.
The leaves of the bush serve as raw materials for the manufacture of medicines for diseases of the cardiovascular system. From squeezed plants produce creams and ointments for skin diseases.
Important! And because of the strongest aroma, a flowering plant cannot be kept in the bedroom. This can cause poor sleep and headaches.
Origin and appearance
The birthplace of an evergreen shrub is considered to be the entire strip of subtropical climate from Portugal to China. As an ornamental shrub, oleander is very popular in the Mediterranean countries, in Algeria and southeastern regions of Asia. A sun-loving plant with a harmonious name and fragrant flowers is loved by many gardeners.
Perennial oleander is widespread on the Black Sea coast. In open ground in a favorable subtropical climate, it can grow as a tree up to 4 m in height. Sometimes the bushes form whole thickets, exuding an amazing aroma.
Bloom
Oleander loves well-lit and well-ventilated areas. In the shade, the bush begins to hurt and even refuses to bloom.
The plant has beautiful flowers with five petals, painted in delicate white, orange, pink colors. They are located one at a time or collected in inflorescences and are formed throughout the summer. They are famous for their pleasant strong aroma. Flowers are simple and double. The sheets are narrow, smooth, green or variegated with a pronounced middle.
Species and varieties
Blooming oleander mesmerizes with its beauty and aroma. Vacationers in the resorts of the Crimea for a long time remember its smell. In many perfumes, notes of nerium oleander are guessed.
Additional Information. The noble flower has become a symbol of the city of Yalta.
Breeders have bred many new beautiful hybrid varieties with flowers of different shapes and colors.
White
Has large flowers, simple or double, collected in corymbose inflorescences. White oleander has a strong caramel smell. They love to grow it in office buildings.
White flower
It is believed that the plant removes a bad mood and improves performance.
Pink terry
Its velvety flowers look like small roses with a delicate delicate smell. A pink terry oleander enchants with its beauty, blooms until late autumn. By trimming it is given the most diverse form.
Pink terry
Yellow
Large bright yellow flowers partly resemble bells. This is a hardy drought tolerant plant. It tolerates light frosts, suitable for growing on balconies. In warm weather, in containers, an oleander yellow beautifully decorates the site.
Yellow flower
Star of persia
Belongs to elite varieties. The buds of the plant have a golden core and peach edges.
Scarlett
This is also one of the elite variegated varieties. The bud combines white and raspberry colors.
Indian
It can grow up to 4 m in height. Has lush inflorescences of racemose form. The flowers are large: red, pink, yellow, white with a sweet smell. It blooms until late autumn.
Fragrant
This variety grows to 50 cm. It is famous for its magnificent aroma.
Additional Information. Oleander was the first flower to bloom in the radiation-infected lands of Hiroshima. For the Japanese, this was a real miracle.
Planting an oleander in a pot
To grow oleander, you need to take care of suitable soil and flower pots of a certain size.
Soil for oleander
The soil for the plant is harvested from turf land, leaf, humus, peat, sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1. You can also use slightly acidic garden soil or purchased soil for flowers. It is important to take care of good drainage.
Pot size
The plant grows rapidly, so the capacity for seedlings should be spacious, at least 6-7 liters. Every two years, the oleander is transplanted into a larger container. According to the state of the root system, you can determine whether the plant needs a new pot.
Planting in pots
The container volume for an adult plant reaches 40 liters.
Breeding oleander
The plant propagates by cuttings, seeds and layering. The first two methods are the most common.
Cuttings
It is easiest to propagate an oleander with cuttings left after pruning. They are cut up to 15 cm long. Sections for protection against decay are necessarily treated with crushed charcoal and dried. Charcoal is also poured into the ground prepared for rooting. After landing in the ground, the root necks are sprinkled with sand so that rot does not appear. The pot should be kept in a well-lit place, it is undesirable to over-moisten the soil.
Rooting cuttings
If cuttings need to be rooted in water, then the liquid is also disinfected with charcoal. In water, the first roots appear faster, after about a month. Then the cuttings are planted in pots with a pre-prepared soil mixture. Propagate the cuttings in a bright, warm room.
Seed cultivation
Growing nerium oleander from seeds is a more complex and rare method of reproduction. Not all seeds have good germination, the process requires a certain temperature and illumination. In addition, the seedlings may lose their varietal characteristics.
Freshly picked seeds before planting are soaked for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide. Then, they are kept in a solution of Heteroauxin or Zircon for an hour. Prepare an earthen mixture for an adult plant and sow the treated seeds.
For oleander seedlings, care should be most favorable:
- artificial light illumination;
- airing the room;
- optimal temperature and humid air;
- regular watering.
Note! Seeds hatch for two weeks. After the appearance of 4-5 leaves, sprouts of nerium oleander are planted in separate containers.
Oleander Care
Caring for a plant is not a big deal. When keeping the oleander as a room flower in a spacious bright room and following the simple rules of care, you can get a beautiful strong plant.
Oleander home care, basic rules:
- Transfer. Young plants are best replanted every year, old ones every two to three years. At the same time, the old roots are shortened and the size of the earthen coma is reduced. This will contribute to a more friendly flowering. The new pot should be slightly larger than the old, but not too large. Large oleanders often do not transplant, but change the topsoil. A drainage layer of gravel, expanded clay and small pebbles is poured at the bottom of the pot. Then the plant is abundantly watered. Spring is the best time to transplant.
- Regular pruning. This is an important part of oleander care. After all, flowers appear only on last year's shoots. Therefore, after flowering, pruning is necessary. It forms a compact and neat shape. Branches should be cut to half or 2/3 of the entire length. Also remove vegetative shoots under flower buds, which slow down the development of the bush. Regular autumn pruning contributes to abundant flowering and the formation of a beautiful decorative look.
- Lighting is a prerequisite for growing a dense and beautiful bush. With a lack of sunlight, the oleander begins to hurt, turn yellow, drop leaves, stops flowering. Rooms with windows to the north are not suitable for a home oleander. In winter, artificial illumination does not hinder the plant.
- Temperature. In summer, you should maintain a temperature of 20 ̊ to 28 ̊С, as high as possible. In winter, the optimum temperature regime is 10-15 ̊С.
- Diseases and pests of the oleander ordinary. The most common are the scabbard, spider mite, mealybug, aphid. An individual disease is cancer and soot fungus.
Important! Cut branches and shoots cannot be burned, as toxic substances are released during combustion.
Watering mode
Oleander tolerates the lack of moisture well, but develops less intensively than with regular watering. In spring and summer, the flower is watered more often and more abundantly, especially if it is large. You can monitor the frequency of watering by drying the topsoil. In winter, watering is moderate and decreases with decreasing temperature. Watering with cold water is not recommended. Water should be slightly warmer than indoor air, well-settled.
Top dressing
For top dressing, complex fertilizers for indoor plants are used. During the spring-summer growth, fertilizers are applied every two weeks. Oleander loves organic matter, which is added when the plant is taken out in the open air in summer. Top dressing is carried out an hour after watering.
During flowering
During flowering, the oleander needs a temperature of at least 20 ° C. A place in the fresh air, protected from the weather, will be the best. A pot with a plant can be dug near an artificial reservoir where the flower will feel extremely comfortable.
Flowering period
If the flowering bush is in the room, it is necessary to ventilate it more often. Saturated aroma can affect the well-being of people living in the room. The flowering phase lasts up to five months.
During rest
The rest period at the oleander lasts from November to the end of February. It is important at this time to provide the plant with a temperature of 8 ̊ to 15 ̊С, reduce the number of irrigations, and cancel feeding. During this time, the oleander will accumulate strength and will be ready to continue growing and flowering in the warm season. If the plant hibernates in a room with central heating, where there is high temperature and dry air, then it needs to be sprayed with cold water.
Winter preparations
In warm regions where the shrub grows in open ground, the plant is completely covered with a film for the winter. Cropped oleander is more convenient to cover. At home, observe the temperature regime and the necessary humidity.
If you follow all the recommendations and good conditions, the bush can grow up to 2 m in height and delight with lush bloom until late autumn.
