Normally, the leaves of the oleander are lanceolate-long and of a rich green color. As with other plants, oleander leaves are a good indicator of whether the shrub is doing well or not: discoloration, but also curling are typical signs that the plant is sick or something it doesn't like.
Oleanders are very popular with pests
Check oleanders for possible pests
First of all, the curling of the leaves can be an indication that the plant is trying to protect itself from a pest infestation. There are many harmful insects that prefer to colonize oleanders and feel extremely comfortable there. Spider mites in particular have a pronounced fondness for the Mediterranean shrub, which is why you should check it regularly for an infestation. Spider mites (and other pests such as aphids, for example) belong to the leaf sap-sucking insects and prefer to sit on the underside of the leaf. Their sucking activity can cause the oleander to curl up its leaves.
When the leaves curl up, the oleander is often too cold
Much more frequently, however, curling leaves indicate that the oleander does not feel comfortable in its location - possibly due to drafts or because the Mediterranean plant is simply too cold. Is it quite sunny and warm during the day, but gets significantly cooler at night with temperatures below 18°C? Then the roots of the oleander freeze and are not able to supply sufficient moisture to the leaves - which in turn have a high evaporation rate in the sun and thus suffer from a lack of water. In such a situation, you have the following options for action:
- You put the oleander in a different location.
- You protect the roots by placing the planter on an insulating base made of polystyrene or wood.
- Wrap the pot in protective foil overnight.
- You water the plant early in the morning with lukewarm water,
- this way you bring the cold-sensitive roots up to operating level more quickly.
Alternatively, you can of course also bring the oleander into the house overnight. In the case of cooling drafts, however, only a change of location will help. This should be sunny, warm and above all protected!
tips
The only problem is that spider mites also love warm and sheltered locations - and particularly like to attack oleanders. So check at least once a week for a possible infestation and take countermeasures in good time.