oleanders and...

Hi Irini,
 
There are three subspecies of oleanders : Nerium oleander ssp. oleander, which you find everywhere in the mediterranean along dry rivers, Nerium oleander ssp. mascatense which comes from Oman, and Nerium oleander ssp. indicum which comes from India and China.
 
The asiatic subspecies is fragrant and has sometimes double flowers in the wild, it also has more color variation than the mediterranean subspecies. It is the parent of all cultivars which have double and scented flowers.
 
Though I haven't seen oleanders naturalizing in South Africa, I know it is listed as an invasive plant there. Ironically, the wild oleander has become very rare in France, it is here considered as an endangered species and is protected by law...
 
I am working here in France with a group of people to establish a list of the plants which are, or which might become, invasive weeds. Of course that doesn't mean we shouldn't grow any of the wonderful plants from other parts of the world with mediterranean climates . But we try to be very cautious, some introduced plants like Baccharis halimifolia in specific conditions can create sad monospecific landscapes, leaving no space at all for our native plants (it's happening in the Camargue and in the Bassin d'Arcachon).
 
Olivier
 
 
 
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