In Mediterranean countries, oleanders grow wild, but in Central Europe, they can only survive if kept in pots and overwintered in a protected place. – For now!
When you first get your oleander and enjoy the first blooms, you water it, feed it, overwinter it, and you’ll have a pretty but leggy plant. People will tell you to cut it back, but you might be afraid to, seeing that flowers grow at the ends of the branches. If you cut the ends, there won’t be any place for flowers to grow. Eventually, the time will come when it no longer fits in its overwintering spot, and you’ll have to prune it drastically.
And behold! – It becomes bushier, denser, and though it blooms later, it rewards you with even more flowers.

It’s easier if you have several oleanders, allowing you to cut back half of them drastically every other year. Over the years and decades, you can have oleanders with very characteristic trunks.

Caring for Oleanders
Oleanders need a lot of water. However, they reward you by remaining vibrant and colorful even during heatwaves, showing no signs of wilting in 40-degree heat. Therefore, it’s advisable to water them twice a day during such times. If they don’t get enough water, they show it by drooping flowers and leaves. They can endure this state for up to three days, but will quickly regain their original splendor once watered. However, try to avoid such lapses unless absolutely necessary.
For abundant blooms, it’s advisable to feed them. According to the information on oleander fertilizers, feed them twice a week during summer and once every two weeks during the overwintering period.
If they start producing seeds, it’s best to cut off the pods while they’re still young so the plant focuses on blooming rather than seed production.
The stones in the pots, as seen in the pictures, are to prevent them from tipping over in the wind. I remove the stones before moving the pots.


Oleander Pests
Oleanders can be affected by various diseases and pests. About ten years ago, the ones shown in the pictures were attacked by spider mites. They should not be kept in hot, wind-protected spots against house walls, as both oleanders and spider mites thrive there.
A recurring pest is the yellow aphid. I handle spraying very simply: I spray mosquito repellent on all types of aphids and other crawling things. Raid mosquito repellent (blue or blue-gold can) works well. It doesn’t foam, doesn’t harm any plants, and is easy to obtain. The yellow aphids shrivel, turn black, and fall off.


Overwintering Oleanders
It seems our winters are getting milder. Last winter, I believe an oleander planted in the ground with some light covering would have survived easily.
I bring my oleanders into the garage for overwintering after the first frosts. Temperatures of -1 to -4 degrees Celsius don’t bother them, provided these are just temporary early morning chills, so the pots don’t freeze through.
I pack them tightly together because they take up a lot of space. Before bringing them in, I give them a good trim so I don’t have to navigate around them as much. I cut off dead parts, remove dry leaves and foreign debris caught in branches, as pests like to hide there. Trimming naturally means cutting off any remaining flowers and buds as well.
There have been times when I brought them in with buds, and in spring, they resumed blooming when I took them out. However, I believe that oleanders should rest during winter instead of conserving buds.
I water them every two weeks, or if I forget, once a month. They don’t get much light either. They are quite content in their restful state.


In the overwintering place, the garage, there is no heating, only insulation. Many years ago, there was a winter where it was -14°C in the garage for several weeks. The oleanders in the picture survived that winter. One red-petaled oleander only had its base survive, appearing completely frozen. I cut it up, took it out of the pot, and simply set it aside. In August, I noticed the stump was sprouting again, and it has been thriving ever since. That was more than 10 years ago.
According to my experience, oleanders bought from discount stores couldn’t withstand such cold. However, this is not 100% true in general terms, because the pink triple-petaled oleander came from Obi. The ones more reliably enduring harsh conditions are the “grandmother’s” oleanders, those obtained from family, friends, or rooted cuttings. Except for the one from Obi, all others in the pictures are like this.


Oleanders After Overwintering
In March, I bring them out, water them, cut off the dry parts, and place them under the eaves to be in a more protected spot, as there might still be snow and frost.
You can start feeding them a bit with fertilizer.
In the second half of March or in April, I spread out the pots and place them in their final summer positions.


Oleander Varieties
True oleander enthusiasts know the different species, varieties, and hybrids by name. They observe the variations in every detail of the flowers. They even crossbreed them and eagerly await the first flowers of the seedlings they have grown.
I distinguish them primarily by color: red, pink, peach-colored, white, or yellow. Yes, yellow – I am still aiming for it, but not the pale yellow; I want a stronger lemon-yellow.

Besides that, I distinguish between single, double, and what might be technically incorrect, triple-petaled oleanders. But if it has more petals than a double, what else would I call it? 🙂
The more petals, the rosier the appearance. The advantage of singles is that they are self-cleaning – the wilted flowers fall off on their own. Double and triple flowers usually don’t fall off as they dry; you have to pick them off because they are too bulky and get caught.


IMPORTANT! Every part of the oleander is poisonous.


What I’ve written are not recommendations. I’m just a hobbyist who has been growing oleanders for almost 20 years.