Cascabela spp.

yellow oleanders

Apocynaceae Tropical and subtropical Americas

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Cascabela spp. is a small genus of about six species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), native to tropical and subtropical America. Plants grow 2-8 m (6-26 ft) tall with slender, spirally arranged, glossy linear to lance-shaped leaves and milky latex in all parts. From the branch tips come funnel-shaped flowers 4-7 cm (1.6-2.8 in) long in yellow, apricot, or peach, often carrying a light scent. The genus includes C. thevetia, the yellow oleander or lucky nut, long grown in warm regions. Flowers are followed by fleshy, angular fruits that ripen from green to black and enclose a hard seed. Every part contains cardiac glycosides, and the seeds are intensely poisonous; ingestion can be fatal to people, livestock, and pets. Plants are frost-tender and grow only in frost-free or near-frost-free climates. The brittle stems and self-sown seedlings can become weedy where conditions suit.

Native Range

Cascabela spp. is native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, from Mexico and the Caribbean through Central America to South America, growing in dry forest, scrub, and coastal thickets; C. thevetia is now naturalized across the tropics.

Suggested Uses

Grown in tropical and subtropical gardens as a flowering shrub, clipped hedge, or small patio tree, and as a container plant moved under cover for winter elsewhere. The toxicity limits its placement in gardens used by children, pets, or grazing stock. Plants are spaced 1.5-2.5 m (5-8 ft) apart in hedging.

How to Identify

Identified by glossy, narrow leaves spirally set on the stems, milky latex when cut, and funnel-shaped yellow to apricot flowers at the branch tips. The fruit is a fleshy, somewhat angular drupe that ripens from green through red to black around a single hard stone. The combination of latex, trumpet flowers, and black fruit marks the genus.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6' - 26'

Width/Spread5' - 12'

Reaches mature size in approximately 4 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~24 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

In warm climates flowering continues through much of the year, peaking in the warm, wet months. Individual funnel-shaped flowers last a few days and are produced in succession at the shoot tips. Fruit set follows soon after each flush.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow, apricot, or peach

Foliage Description

glossy dark green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

2-4 years to flowering size

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Most species grow in full sun on free-draining soils and tolerate heat, drought, salt spray, and poor ground once established. They accept a pH from slightly acidic to alkaline and need little water after the first year. Plants are frost-tender, dropping leaves or dying back below about 0 C (32 F), and are grown under glass or as container plants where winters are cold. All parts are highly toxic through cardiac glycosides, so sap contact can irritate skin and eyes and the seeds are lethal if swallowed. Few pests trouble the genus, though oleander aphids and scale insects gather on soft new growth.

Pruning

Stems can be shortened after flowering to keep a dense, rounded shape and to limit height. The milky latex bleeds from fresh cuts and stains skin and clothing. All prunings carry the same cardiac glycosides as the living plant.

Pruning Schedule

fall