Rose Bay - Nerium oleander Red Single

The Red Single Oleander is a descendant of Nerium oleander, a vigorous evergreen bush emblematic of Mediterranean gardens. This variety produces a multitude of deep red single flowers continuously from June to October if the soil remains moist. They are grouped in generous bouquets, enhanced by an elegant dark green foliage, attractive even outside the flowering period. Not demanding, easy to grow in any well-drained soil, resistant to sea spray as well as drought, its only weakness is its rather mediocre hardiness, especially during its early years. It is best suited for regions that do not experience very cold winters. It creates elegant and multicoloured hedges when combined with other varieties and thrives in a large pot on a terrace, balcony, or even in a small garden throughout the summer.

The numerous cultivars of oleander available on the horticultural market are mostly hybrids between Nerium oleander subsp. oleander, found naturally around the Mediterranean, and the highly fragrant Nerium oleander subsp. indicum, found naturally from Iran to China. Their flowers are single, double, or even triple and come in an almost infinite range of colours, from white to pink, yellow and salmon, red, and even mauve. The blue hue is the only one missing.

Nerium oleander is an evergreen bush of the Apocynaceae family, just like periwinkle or false jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). The 'Red Single' cultivar, selected by Minier nurseries, is part of a series of particularly floriferous hybrids. It naturally forms a bushy and branching bush, with multiple stems, and a generally rounded habit. Vigorous, it will reach an average height of 3 m (9.8 ft) and a spread of 3 m (9.8 ft) at maturity. Its flexible branches, covered with grey bark, bear long evergreen, thick and leathery leaves, with a slightly bluish green colour and a lighter underside. They measure 10 cm to 15 cm (3.9 in to 5.9 in) in length and 3 cm (1.2 in) in width. In case of intense drought, Oleander sheds some of its leaves, particularly the oldest ones, located at the base of the stems. Flowering takes place in spring and again from late summer to autumn or continuously from spring to autumn depending on the climate, for 4 to 5 months in moist soil. The flowers are composed of a tube widening into 5 carmine red petals and surrounded by slender and turbinate buds. They are arranged in corymbs, mainly at the terminal part of branches that are 1 or 2 years old. This nectar-rich and honey-producing flowering is followed by the formation of long reddish pods that burst open at maturity, releasing numerous small seeds equipped with a cluster of white bristles, dispersed by the wind. Be careful not to prune the oleander too severely: only stems that have reached a certain length bear flowers!

Nerium oleander is an excellent hedge plant by the seaside but also a magnificent specimen to plant in a warm location. Hardy down to -8° C to -10° C (17.6° F to 14° F) once well-established, it will thrive in any ordinary but well-drained soil. It can also be used as a hedge, combined with other evergreen bushes such as Bay Laurel, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Mexican Orange Blossom, myrtles, Pittosporum tobira, and even Grevillea. In mild climates, it can be trained as a small tree by selecting the most beautiful stem and allowing it to branch out at a height of 1 m to 2 m (3.3 ft to 6.6 ft) from the ground. The resulting specimens are particularly ornamental but require a very mild winter that will not cause them to be cut down to the ground: it would be a shame to see several years of work destroyed by a severe frost in a matter of hours! On a terrace, it will thrive in a large pot, alongside citrus trees, Grevillea, and other oleanders. This cultivation method allows the tree to be stored in a very bright, cool but frost-free location in cold regions.

The genus name, Nerium, is believed to come from its ancient Greek name, Nerion, derived from Nereus, a sea god in Greek mythology. Another interpretation links Nerium to neros, which means moist in Greek. The underlying liquid element in these two interpretations is probably explained by the fact that wild oleander never grows far from water. Its long roots anchor deep in the ground to draw in freshness, even on the slopes of gorges or in the beds of dried-up rivers. Proof of its incredible drought resistance, in arid regions like the Negev in Israel or the south of the Anti-Atlas in Morocco, Nerium oleander is one of the few bushes, along with Acacia and Retama (a kind of broom), capable of facing the desert, firmly rooted in the walls of ravines.