Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
White Oleander Tree
White Oleander Tree is oleander trained to a single trunk, so you get a small flowering tree instead of a wide hedge. Clusters of white flowers open from spring into fall, peaking around May, against dark green leaves that stay on all year. It grows fast to about 15 to 20 feet tall in full sun and reflected heat. Once rooted it gets by on modest water.
Best for: a small flowering tree for hot spots, white flowers from spring into fall, and west walls and reflected heat.
Trained to a single trunk, it grows fast into a small tree about 15 to 20 feet tall with a 10 to 20 foot head. You get oleander flowers above eye level instead of a wide hedge.
It handles full sun and reflected heat off walls and paving on modest water once rooted. It tends to bloom better in hot, tough spots than in rich, shady ones.
Clusters of white flowers open from spring into fall, heaviest around May. The dark green leaves stay on all year, so it never looks bare.
Every part is poisonous to people and pets, so keep it away from play areas. Suckers from the base need pulling, and oleander leaf scorch, a fatal disease, is spreading in the Valley.
- Row or screen4-6 ft apart
Oleander is drought tolerant once rooted, but it responds well to extra water through the warm months. It needs little or no extra water in winter. Water deeply, 18 to 24 inches down.
As a tree, it keeps sending up suckers from the base. Cut them off at the base as soon as they appear, or it will turn back into a shrub.
Brown edges on the leaves point to oleander leaf scorch, a disease with no cure. Salt burn and shallow watering can look the same, so have a sample checked before removing a plant.
All parts of oleander are poisonous. Wear gloves when pruning and wash up afterward.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is oleander poisonous?
Yes. Every part is poisonous to people, dogs, cats and horses if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin. Plant it away from play areas, wear gloves when pruning, and never burn the clippings.
How big does an oleander tree get?
It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall with a head 10 to 20 feet across. It grows fast, so give it that room from the start.
How often should I water it?
Water a new tree regularly until it roots in. After that, deep soaks through the warm months keep it blooming, and it needs little or no extra water in winter.
What is oleander leaf scorch?
It is a bacterial disease spread by sharpshooter insects. Leaf edges yellow, then brown, often starting on one branch in summer, and watering will not fix it. Remove infected plants to slow the spread.
Is it cold hardy?
Yes, to about 15 to 20°F. Hard freezes can burn the tips, and it grows back from below, so wait until spring to trim the damage.
How do I keep it a tree and not a bush?
Pull or cut off suckers from the base and lower trunk while they are young. Oleander is a shrub at heart, so keep at it through the growing season.
How fast does it grow?
It grows fast in full sun, so a young tree fills out within a few seasons.
Can I burn oleander trimmings?
No, because the smoke from burning oleander is toxic. Bag the clippings and put them in the trash.
Is an oleander tree messy?
It can be. It drops a moderate amount of spent flowers and old leaves through the year, so plan on some sweeping near a patio or pool.
Can oleander bother allergies?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
White Oleander Tree for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
White Oleander Tree is a fast, evergreen oleander grown on one trunk, with white flowers from spring into fall. Below are the questions people ask most before planting one, including toxicity and leaf scorch.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Is oleander safe around pets?
No. Every part is poisonous to dogs, cats, horses and people if eaten. Plant it away from play areas and pet runs.
Oleander leaf scorch in Phoenix
This bacterial disease browns leaf edges, often on one branch first, then spreads. Watering will not reverse it, and there is no cure.
How big does an oleander tree get?
It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall with a 10 to 20 foot head, and it gets there fast in full sun.
Watering an oleander tree
Give it deep soaks through the warm months for the best bloom, and little or no extra water in winter once it is rooted.
Keeping the tree form
Pull or cut suckers from the base and trunk so it does not turn back into a shrub.
Oleander cold hardiness
It is hardy to about 15 to 20°F. Freeze-burned tips regrow in spring.
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