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Nerium oleander Sister Agnes

Nerium oleander Soeur Agnes
Oleander, Rose Bay

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This Nerium oleander Sister Agnes is very beautiful in flower, but I mainly bought it for its advertised fragrance. In fact, it is not scented!

Albert, 18/08/2020

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This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty

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'Sister Agnes' Oleander is a beautiful evergreen bush with a dense habit, boasting long and abundant flowering in pure white. Its wonderfully fragrant single flowers bloom continuously from June to October, provided the soil remains moist. The floral buds are a beautiful creamy white. Showy yet undemanding, charming but tough, this Mediterranean plant grows naturally in a mild climate: floriferous, easy to grow in any well-drained soil, resistant to drought and tolerant of sea spray, it is comfortable everywhere and displays beautiful foliage of a dark, somewhat ashy green, ornamental all year round. Sensitive to cold in its early years it can, when well established, resist short frosts in the order of -8/-10°C. Ideal in an unirrigated garden or by the sea.
Flower size
4 cm
Height at maturity
3.50 m
Spread at maturity
3 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -9°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
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Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time February to May
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Flowering time June to September
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Description

Oleander 'Sister Agnes' is a descendant of Nerium oleander, a vigorous evergreen bush iconic of Mediterranean gardens. This variety, particularly floriferous and fragrant, has single flowers with pure white petals and a cream white throat, in bloom continuously from June to October if the soil remains moist. They are grouped in generous bouquets, highlighted by an elegant dark green foliage, attractive even outside the flowering period. Undemanding, easy to grow in any well-drained soil, resistant to sea spray as well as drought; its only weak point is its rather poor hardiness, especially during its younger years. Cultivation in open ground is therefore reserved for regions that do not experience harsh winters. It can be used in the composition of large, elegant and multicoloured hedges in association with other varieties, and impresses throughout the season in a large pot on the terrace, balcony, or in a small garden.

The numerous oleander cultivars available on the horticultural market are most often hybrids between the Nerium oleander subsp. oleander, spontaneous around the Mediterranean, and the Nerium oleander subsp. indicum, very fragrant, spontaneous from Iran to China. Their flowers are single, double or even triple and offer a nearly infinite palette of shades, from white to pink through yellow and salmon, red, and even mauve. Only the blue shade is absent.

Nerium oleander is an evergreen bush of the Apocynaceae family, like periwinkles or false jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). 'Sister Agnes' is naturally dense and bushy, ramified near the base, multi-stemmed, with a generally rounded habit. Vigorous, it will reach an average height of 3m50 (12 ft) by 3m (10 ft) spread at maturity, with rapid growth. Its flexible branches, covered with grey bark, bear long evergreen leaves, thick and leathery, with a slightly bluish green on their lighter underside. They measure 10 to 15cm (4 to 6 in) in length by 3cm (1.2 in) in width. In the case of intense drought Nerium loses some of its oldest leaves, those located towards the base of the stems. Flowering occurs in spring and then again from late summer to autumn, or continuously over 4 to 5 months from spring to autumn in the right climate, in moist soil. The flowers are composed of a tube flaring into 5 pure white petals with a cream white throat, alongside thin and turbinate very pale and creamy white-yellow buds. They are gathered in corymbs, mainly at the terminal part of branches aged 1 or 2 years. This flowering, nectar-rich and melliferous, is followed by the formation of long reddish pods that burst when ripe, releasing a multitude of small seeds with a tuft of white bristles, to be dispersed by the wind. Be careful not to prune oleander too severely: only stems that have reached a certain length bear flowers!

A symbol of resistance and generosity, Nerium oleander makes an excellent hedge plant by the sea but also a magnificent standalone specimen in a sunny site. Hardy down to -8/-10°C (17.6/14 °F) once well established, it will grow without problem in any ordinary but well-drained soil. It can be used as a hedge plant, with regular pruning, in combination with other evergreen bushes such as Laurustinus, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Mexican Orange, myrtles, Pittosporum tobira and Grevillea. In a mild climate it can be trained as a small tree, by selecting the best stem and bringing it up to 1m50 to 2m (5 to 7 ft) from the ground before letting it branch out. Such specimens are particularly ornamental but require very mild winters that won't risk needing to cut it back to the ground: you don't want to see several years of work destroyed by severe frost in a few hours! It will reign supreme on the terrace in a large pot, in the company of citrus trees, Grevillea and oleanders. This allows the tree to be stored in a very bright, cool but frost-free room over winter in very cold regions.

The genus name 'Nerium' may come from the ancient Greek name Nerion, derived from Nereus, a sea god of Greek mythology. Another interpretation relates Nerium to neros, which means "wet" in Greek. The liquid element common to both interpretations is probably explained by the fact that wild oleander never grows very far from water. Its long roots anchor deeply in the soil to draw up moisture, even on the sides of gorges or the beds of dried-up rivers. As proof of its incredible resistance to drought, in arid regions like the Negev in Israel or the south of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas, Nerium oleander is one of the only bushes (along with Acacia and Retama, a kind of broom) capable of surviving in the desert, anchored in the walls of ravines. 

 

Nerium oleander Sister Agnes in pictures

Nerium oleander Sister Agnes (Foliage) Foliage

Plant habit

Height at maturity 3.50 m
Spread at maturity 3 m
Habit Irregular, bushy
Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time June to September
Inflorescence Corymb
Flower size 4 cm
Fragrance Fragrant
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Fruit colour green

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour dark green

Safety measures

Potential risks Plant may be toxic if swallowed

Botanical data

Genus

Nerium

Species

oleander

Cultivar

Soeur Agnes

Family

Apocynaceae

Other common names

Oleander, Rose Bay

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference870541

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Planting and care

In cool regions we advise planting oleander in spring once the risk of frost has passed, but preferably in early autumn in hot and dry climates. Install it in a very sunny and sheltered site, or in partial shade in a hot climate, in deep, well-drained soil; it can tolerate limestone and being exposed to brackish water. Grown in the shade it will be much less floriferous and its habit will be more leggy and less bushy. Although it resists drought very well and tolerates arid situations, it will only fully develop and flower abundantly in soil that is sufficiently moist at depth. It resists sea spray very well. Monitor moisture levels in summer for the first two years. It will appreciate the addition of compost and a thick layer of dead leaves, especially during the first two winters in regions at the limit of its hardiness. Water should be applied around the foot of the plant, never on the foliage.

Pruning oleander requires some precautions: the bush only flowers on young branches that have reached a certain length (generally stems less than 1 year old, not too short). It is therefore necessary not to cut back all the branches in the same year, or you will be deprived of flowers for the whole season. When necessary, pruning should be done in early spring. To form the Nerium on a trunk, you should choose the best stem on the young plant, stake it, and remove all the others at ground level. During the first few years any secondary branches that emerge from this 'trunk' at less than 1m to 1m50 (3 to 5 ft) from the ground should be systematically removed. The crown will then be treated according to the method outlined above. 

Nerium is often prey to scale insects, causing the appearance of sooty mould on the leaves. Thin out and aerate the branches and possibly treat with copper (Bordeaux mixture) in the spring. If the infestation is drastic, cut your oleander down to 10-20 cm (4 to 8 in) from the ground: its ability to regenerate from the stump is impressive and the bush will regain its beautiful appearance in a short time. Aphids can also settle on the flower buds: treat in the evening with a pyrethrin-based insecticide.

The oleander is also famous for the toxicity of its sap. It is worth noting that this has such a bitter and harsh taste that people are not likely to ingest a sufficient amount for it to be lethal. Most accidents arise from confusion between oleander and bay laurel in cooking (though only the bay laurel has its distinctive aroma), or from the use of branches as BBQ skewers.

Propagation is by cuttings from the current year's shoots, just after flowering or in early summer. A stem placed in water very easily produces fragile white roots: when planting, into a pot filled with light potting compost, take precautions so as not to break them. Wean the cutting off water gradually, going from a water-saturated substrate to a potting soil that is just kept moist. Transplant into open ground the following spring, or at the end of the following summer in a mild climate.

 

Planting period

Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time February to May

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Woodland edge, Pond edge
Type of use Border, Back of border, Free-standing, Container, Hedge, Greenhouse
Hardiness Hardy down to -9°C (USDA zone 8b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Ordinary but deep and fertile

Care

Pruning instructions Pruning oleander requires some precautions: the bush only flowers on young branches that have reached a certain length (generally stems less than 1 year old, not too short). It is therefore necessary not to cut back all the branches in the same year, or you will be deprived of flowers for the whole season. When necessary, pruning should be done in early spring. To form the Nerium on a trunk, you should choose the best stem on the young plant, stake it, and remove all the others at ground level. During the first few years any secondary branches that emerge from this 'trunk' at less than 1m to 1m50 (3 to 5 ft) from the ground should be systematically removed. The crown will then be treated according to the method outlined above. 
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil
Disease resistance Average
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
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