Oleander. Nerium oleander.	Oleander. Nerium oleander.

Oleander. Nerium oleander, Dogbane Family: ( Apocynaceae ), Oleander. Also Called: Justicia california. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. This is a very popular landscaping plant in arizona and it is considered an evergreen shrub or small tree. Nerium oleander is used for screens, informal hedges, colorful accents, and cityscapes. By removing the suckers and leaving just a few stems an oleander bush can be trained into a very attractive small tree. Multi - colored oleander line the freeways of lower elevations in Arizona which provide commuters a soothing green display to enjoy while driving through the larger cities. The oleander is a tough durable shrub that is inexpensive and easy to grow in most situations. Abundant, beautiful flowers are produced in many colors and some varieties are delightfully fragrant. New homeowners appreciate oleander's satisfyingly fast growth rate and ability to quickly green up a bare lot. All parts of oleander are poisonous. Don't Bar-B-Q with them. Don't grill hot dogs over a fire, stuck to one of their nice stems. We know people who did, and got sick! Quick Notes: Height: Evergreen bush slowly growing to about 3 to 20 feet tall and 3 to 12 feet wide. Flowers: The flowers are o terminal clusters, they can be yellow, white, pink, or red; they may be single or double; they bloom in the spring and throughout the summer. There is some bloom in the winter. Blooming Time: Mid January - December. Fruit: 3 - 5 inch long pods, they are green ripening to brown, they split when dry releasing airborne seed. Stems: They are gray, extremely tough, and can be trained or pruned as desired. Poisonous. Leaves: The leaves are simple, linear, 3 - 12 inches long, they are whorled around the stem, glossy dark green on the top and lighter underneath with a prominent mid - rib. Found: The USDA claims that Nerium oleander.is native to the USA (AL, AZ, CA, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX, UT), USA+ (PR, VI). It also claims that Nerium oleander.is native to Maricopa county in Arizona. It is widely naturalized throughout the world in AFRICA Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Western Asia: Afghanistan; Cyprus; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Syria; Turkey; China: Tropical Asia; Indian Subcontinent; Southeastern Europe: Albania; Croatia; Greece; Italy; Southwestern Europe: France; Portugal; Spain. Elevation: Native from 0 - 2,500 feet. Hardiness: USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Partial Shade Habitat: Alkaline, well-drained/light soils. An ideal landscape plant in Arizona. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken April 1, 2006. Glendale, Arizona.