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Oleanders along the highways

Well, oleanders are native here, so noone normally complains about their
ubiquituos use along Italian highways, but I wonder why they are always used
in unmentionable mixtures of reds pinks purples apricots yellows whites. 
If a single color (with the occasional white or contrasting color to break
monotony?) were used for miles and miles it would have a totally different
impact. Oleanders are also machine-pruned quite often, because they are just
too big for the spaces they're planted in. I think that the dwarf varieties
should be selected for the highway dividers, and the other, bigger varieties
should go on the outer spaces (average size for an adult oleander here is 10
x 10 ft). Olivier, are there more dwarf varieties available now? I can only
find the dark red one, whose name I don't know, and it is not so satisfying.
To tell the truth, it was lavishly used in Rome along a major road - one of
the main accesses to the city from the South - and it is rather spectacular
there. We have oleanders everywhere in Rome, and one big advantage they have
in archeological sites is that as you don't have to water, you don't risk to
damage the ruins with moisture. 
Years ago I had the same experience as Doug, in England, and was shown with
great pride a tiny oleander in a pot. It was kept  in a conservatory of a
garden which was REDUNDANT with rhodos that I will never be able to grow! It
is the same old story of the fox and the grape...

Alessandra
****************************************************

Alessandra Vinciguerra
American Academy in Rome
Via Masina,5
00153 Roma
Tel:0039\6\5846.444

puglisi@librs6k.vatlib.it

Check the Academy's Web site: http://www.aarome.org
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