This superb Mediterranean shrub has been in cultivation since 1596. In America, Oleanders were popular as greenhouse specimens by the late eighteenth century and George Washington grew them in containers at Mount Vernon. The Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon offered oleanders in 1810 under the name "Bay Rose." This is a species form with simple flowers which are somewhat smaller than the hybrids grown today. It produces intensely fragrant, bright pink flowers throughout the summer. Long, leathery, lance-shaped leaves grow in whorls along erect branches.

 

Typical Blooming Dates: July - October

Color(s): Pink

Location at Monticello: South Portico