Variegated Oleander

Variegated Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Variegated') is a fast, genuinely tough screening shrub with cream edged leaves and soft pink flowers through the warm months. It reaches about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, and it will do that on poor soil, in salt spray and on very little water. One caution up front: every part of the plant is highly toxic if eaten.

Why you'll love it

• A screen in a hurry. Fast growing and dense to the base, plants set 1.5m apart close into a solid boundary within two seasons.
• Colour without flowers. The cream margined leaves lift a fence line all year, so the plant still earns its place in winter.
• Built for hard sites. Salt tolerant, heat tolerant, drought tolerant and untroubled by poor soil, it holds up where most hedging plants struggle.
• Months of flower. Soft pink blooms open from late spring and keep coming into autumn with almost no attention.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. Closer spacing crowds the bases and creates dead wood in the middle rather than closing the screen faster.

Coastal gardens. It takes front line salt wind, which makes it one of the few flowering screens that works on an exposed seaside block.

Hot, dry problem corners. Driveway edges, western walls and reflected heat off paving suit it, and once established it needs little water.

Growing Variegated Oleander in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for dense growth and the heaviest flowering. It suits warm temperate, subtropical, tropical, Mediterranean and arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so cool temperate and frosty inland districts are better served by a hardier screen.

Soil. Almost any soil, including sand, clay and poor fill, provided water drains away. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. One application of complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is plenty; overfeeding gives leaf at the expense of flower.

Pruning. Trim after the main flush to keep it dense, and cut older stems to the ground every few years to renew the plant. Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection, wash up afterwards, and never burn the clippings or put them where stock can reach them.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: 140mm pots in packs of 10, and single 45L plants. The 140mm plants are young and lightly branched, and the sensible buy for a long hedge because oleander grows so quickly. The 45L is an established shrub with height on day one, useful for a gap in an existing screen. Both sizes run on backorder at times, so check availability before planning.

Plants travel upright and may drop a few leaves in transit, which is normal. Expect strong growth from the first warm month after planting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare other hedging and screening plants.
• Browse screening plants in the 2m to 4m range.
• See more coastal and salt tolerant plants.
• Read how to plant and maintain a sharp hedge.

Common questions

Is it safe around children and pets?

No. Every part of oleander is highly toxic to people, dogs, cats and livestock, and the sap irritates skin. If you have small children or animals that chew plants, choose something else from our hedging range.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies meet in about two seasons while each plant keeps enough light on its lower branches to stay furnished.

Will it survive a frosty garden?

It handles light frost only. In cool temperate and inland frost districts the growth burns back each winter and the plant never makes a reliable screen, so pick a frost hardy alternative instead.