Nerium oleander Giallo Semplice

The Yellow Single Oleander is a descendant of Nerium oleander, a vigorous evergreen bush emblematic of Mediterranean gardens. This particular variety, particularly floriferous, produces simple flowers of a soft and fresh yellow shade continuously from June to October if the soil remains moist. They are grouped in generous clusters, highlighted by an elegant dark green foliage, attractive even outside of flowering. Undemanding, 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 in its early years. Planting it in the ground should be reserved for regions that do not experience excessively cold winters. It forms large elegant and multicoloured hedges when combined with other varieties and thrives in a large pot on the terrace, balcony, or even in a small garden throughout the summer.

The numerous cultivars of oleander available on the horticultural market are most often hybrids between the Nerium oleander subsp. oleander, spontaneously found around the Mediterranean, and the highly fragrant Nerium oleander subsp. indicum, found 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 purple. Only the blue hue is absent.

Nerium oleander is an evergreen bush of the Apocynaceae family, just like periwinkles or the false jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). The 'Yellow Single' cultivar is particularly floriferous, naturally forming a bush with a dense and bushy habit, branching near the base, with a generally rounded shape. Vigorous, it will reach an average height of 3.50 m (11ft) with a spread of 3 m (10ft) at maturity, with rapid growth. Its flexible branches, covered with a grey bark, bear long persistent leaves, thick and leathery, with a slightly bluish green colour and a lighter underside. They measure 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in length and 3 cm (1in) in width. In case of intense drought, the Nerium sheds some of its leaves, the oldest ones, those located near the base of the stems. Flowering occurs in spring and again from late summer to autumn, or continuously from spring to autumn depending on the climate, lasting for 4 to 5 months in moist soil. The flowers are composed of a tube that opens into 5 pale yellow petals and are accompanied by thin 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 pods that burst open when ripe, releasing a multitude of small seeds 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!

A symbol of resilience and generosity, Nerium oleander is an excellent hedge plant by the sea but also a magnificent specimen to plant in isolated hot locations. Hardy down to -8/-10°C (17.6/14°F) once well established, it will grow without any problems in any ordinary but well-drained soil. It can also be used as a hedge, by regularly pruning it, in combination with other evergreen shrubs such as the Portugal laurel, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Mexican orange, myrtles, Pittosporum tobira, and even Grevillea. In mild climates, it can be trained as a small tree by initially selecting the best stem and allowing it to grow to 1.50 or 2 m (5 or 7ft) from the ground before letting it branch out. The resulting specimens are particularly ornamental but require a very mild winter that will not cause them to be cut back to the ground: it would be a shame if severe frost were to destroy several years of work in just a few hours! On the terrace, it will stand out 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 room in our very 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 the wild oleander never grows far from water. Its long roots anchor deep into 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 such as the Negev in Israel or the south of the Anti-Atlas in Morocco, the Nerium oleander is one of the few shrubs, along with acacias and retama (a type of broom), capable of facing the desert, rooted in the walls of ravines.