Shrub to 6 m high. Leaves 3-whorled, rarely opposite; blade narrowly elliptic, up to 21 cm long and 3.5 cm wide; upper surface matt green, glabrous; lower surface pale green, glabrous; tip acute or shortly long-pointed; base cuneate. Flowers 2-2.5 cm long, 3-6 cm wide. Corolla white, pink, red, yellow or salmon. Fruit 7.5-17.5 cm long. [N. odorum Aiton]
Mediterranean, N Africa, Asia
All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Various named and unnamed cultivars are present in SE Australia. The cultivars differ in growth form, leaf variegation, flower colour and corolla doubling.
Source: (2002). Apocynaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers single, white.
Nerium oleander 'Cherry Surprise'
Dwarf shrub, green leaves; flowers single, red.
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers single, pale carmine, edged with carmine.
Nerium oleander 'Luteum Plenum'
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers single, yellow.
Nerium oleander 'Madoni Grandiflorum'
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers double, white.
Nerium oleander 'Mrs George Roeding'
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers semi-double, salmon pink. ['Mrs F. Roeding']
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers double, pale pink.
Nerium oleander 'Petite Salmon'
Dwarf shrub, green leaves; flowers single, salmon pink.
Nerium oleander 'Professor Martin'
Flowers dark rose pink.
Nerium oleander 'Punctatum Plenum'
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers double, pink-spotted. ['Punctatum']
Nerium oleander 'Souvenir D'Auguste Royer'
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers double, pale pink, edged lilac.
Nerium oleander 'Souvenir De Cazalis Allut'
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers single, carmine, edged with dark purple.
Nerium oleander 'Splendens Variegatum'
Medium shrub, green and yellow variegated leaves; flowers double, pink. ['Variegatum']
Medium shrub, green leaves; flowers double, reddish pink.