I have an oleander that was planted in the late summer 2007, it was gorgeous hot pink and healthy. Now it has scorched leaves from frosts. I know that it is not dead and will more than likely sprout new green leaves as it warms up this spring, but should I prune it because it is ugly or just let nature take its course. I see several other oleanders that were not affected by the winter cold. Like I said, I am hoping that it will green back up this year. Please share any past experiences and suggestions for my dismal looking oleander. Thank you. Oh, by the way I have an older white oleander that did not receive any frost damange and is still green.
I'd be tempted to wait and see if it puts out new growth before pruning D2D even id it's not a pretty sight at the moment. I have a few plants that have been damaged by frost here but I won't do anything with them until I'm sure there is no chance of another frost.
I checked some prior post on the stew regarding oleander and noticed that people said that they are pretty difficult to kill so I'm hopeful and I won't prune it. Thanks.
Some varieties of Oleander do seem to be a bit more cold sensitive than others. Here in my area, it's not unusual to see 3 or 4 Oleanders, planted side by side, with cold damage on some, but not on the others. If you do decide to prune to remove the cold damage, it should be done before new spring growth begins to emerge. And bear in mind that the limb will branch out from the point of the cut. Aggressive pruning is commonly done in my area, to rejuvenate Oleander plants. Plants are cut well back (to perhaps 12-18 inches) which encourages lots of bushy new growth from the base.
Hi D2D Zuzu is correct - hard pruning also does the trick here. However, we are not allowed to plant them as they are invaders here and actually pose a serious threat to the indigenous plants here. One can still find some oleander bushes in certain places though and they are all doing so very well - especially when the local councils "cut" then down to size.
