Oleander varieties

Oleander varieties

1. 01

   Plant names and labels

   This guide covers the accepted species Nerium oleander. Named selections such as Petite Pink, Hardy Red and Sister Agnes are cultivars within that species, not separate species.

   Useful choice groups include dwarf container forms, large landscape or screening forms, single-flowered forms, double-flowered often fragrant forms and variegated-leaf forms.

2. 02

   How the varieties differ

   Cultivars differ in flower color and form: Calypso has cherry-red single flowers, Sister Agnes has white single flowers, some selections are double-flowered, and Petite Pink and Petite Salmon are dwarf. They also differ in size, cold response and variegation.

3. 03

   Care differences

   Choose a dwarf selection when a patio container or smaller footprint matters, choose a double-flowered form when fragrance or spent-flower retention matters, and treat cold hardiness as cultivar-specific. All selections still need bright, warm and protected culture.

4. 04

   Limits of plant labels

   Use the named choices as examples, not as a complete current catalog. Mature size, cold response and flowering can vary with climate, pruning and container conditions, and retail labels may be incomplete.