Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Double Pink Oleander bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Double Pink Oleander, Mrs. Roeding Oleander, Salmon Oleander, Double Salmon Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Mrs. Roeding').

More about double pink oleander

About Double Pink Oleander

Nerium oleander 'Mrs. Roeding' · also called Double Pink Oleander, Mrs. Roeding Oleander · flowering

A semi-dwarf, fragrant oleander cultivar bearing abundant double salmon-pink blooms from mid-spring through summer on compact, dense evergreen foliage. Highly heat-, drought-, and coastal-tolerant once established. One of the most popular ornamental oleanders for gardens and large containers in Mediterranean and warm temperate climates. Extremely toxic — all parts are lethal.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons double pink oleander isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming double pink oleander traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding double pink oleander a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get double pink oleander to flower

Maximise sun. Give double pink oleander the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for double pink oleander and get the feeding right with the double pink oleander fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Double Pink Oleander flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full double pink oleander care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Double Pink Oleander blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my double pink oleander flower?

Double Pink Oleander blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make double pink oleander bloom?

Give double pink oleander the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does double pink oleander normally bloom?