Hot pink Nerium oleander, Mediterranean Rose Bay, 50-100 fresh seeds 2023!
Nerium oleander is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has been identified, though it is usually associated with the Mediterranean.
Nerium grows to 2–6 m (7–20 ft) tall. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk. It is tolerant to both drought and inundation, but not to prolonged frost. White, pink or red five-lobed flowers grow in clusters year-round, peaking during the summer. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.
Several compounds in Nerium exhibit toxicity, and it has historically been considered a poisonous plant. Ingestion of larger amounts may cause nausea, vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and irregular heart rhythm. Prolonged contact with sap may cause skin irritation, eye inflammation and dermatitis.
Growing Nerium oleander from seed
Sowing time: March, April
Sowing mix: compost + perlite, ready made compost for seeds and seedlings
Location: 6-hours a day sun light, moist potting mix, not wet
Germination time: 14-30 days
Germination Method
Fill the seed-raising tray with moist potting soil. Firm the soil in the container with your fingers.
Spread the oleander seeds over the soil in the seed-raising tray. Sprinkle thin layer of soil over the seeds. Lightly tamp the soil with your fingertips so it sits firmly over the seeds.
Water the seeds with a spray bottle; aim to keep the soil moist, not soggy.
Cover the seed-raising tray with clear plastic wrap or cover to insulate the seeds and to help maintain the soil moisture until the seeds germinate.
Place the seed tray in a sunlit area. Aim for a temperature of 20°C (68 Fahrenheit). As an alternative, suspend fluorescent lights above the tray. Moisten the soil, as needed, throughout the germination process. Expect the seeds to germinate within approximately one month.
Transplant the seedlings to individual pots once their second set of true leaves appear. Plant them outdoors in a sun-filled area at the beginning of summer.
You can also start your seeds using wet towel method
Spread your seeds on kitchen roll paper, spray it with water and fold (if you have a lot of seeds cover with another sheet), put in a zip lock plastic bag or sealable food container and store in the warm place like a window sill. After approximately 3-10 days you will see some seed germinated.
Prepare individual small pots with sowing potting mix and sprinkle it with water. Take the seeds that developed roots carefully using tweezers from the paper and place them in the pot. Cover with potting medium just enough for seeds not showing. Place in well lit area and keep warm.
After another 7 days you will see the sprouts.
Do not discard the seeds that did not germinate but put them back in bag and check every few days.
Repot the seedlings when they overgrow the pot.
Seeds grown Oleander will flower the next year!
If you want to shape it as a tree cut the tip of the plant and the shoots that come from the roots.