Oleander plant can be found in the form of little trees and shrubs. It is also known by the name of Nerium.
Oleander plant is known throughout the world as a beautiful ornamental tree. Today, we are going to discuss about the root system of Oleander and find out whether oleander roots are invasive or not.
Oleander Root System Explained
The oleander plant is blessed with invasive roots. They use these roots to collect water and food nutrients from deep parts of the soil. However, the invasiveness of its root system can be problematic for the sewer pipes, the water pipes and other plants of the garden.
Let’s look at some varieties of Oleander and find out the nature of their root system.
Dwarf oleander:
The most common use of Dwarf oleander is as a flower plant. Dwarf oleander belongs to the category of shrubs. It is mostly famous for producing beautiful red and pink blossoms.
But as it is a shrub, oleander plant does not grow very tall. Most of the oleander plants will grow up to become six feet tall maximum.
Dwarf oleander plants grows well under full sun and partial shade. Dwarf oleander adapts well under hot and humid conditions and fails to survive in cold weather.
Dwarf oleander might be a small shrub plant. But its root system can be a force to be reckoned with.
It has pretty invasive roots that can be problematic for the survivability of other oleander plants. This type of root system can cause problems when the plant itself is poisonous.
Dwarf oleander is considered as a poisonous plant by gardening experts. Its strong and invasive root system should not be taken lightly. Sometimes people find it difficult to get rid of extensive roots of dwarf oleander.
Yellow oleander:
The scientific name of yellow oleander is Cascabela thevetia. The yellow oleander is comparatively taller than the dwarf oleander.
It can grow up to three to four meters tall. Yellow oleander is planted in the garden as an ornamental shrub because of its vibrant yellow blossoms.
But just like the dwarf oleander, the flowers of yellow oleander are poisonous as well. It is not a safe plant to be in the garden if you have children and pet.
Yellow oleander also possesses a rigid root system which makes its removal difficult.
The roots are not only strong, but they are very invasive as well. Yellow oleander should be planted in the garden after taking its root system and toxicity into consideration.
Nerium oleander:
Nerium oleander is a shrub plant that is grown in the garden as an ornamental tree. There is no food value provided by the Nerium oleander plant. The reason behind this is that all the parts of Nerium oleander is more or less toxic.
Nerium oleander can grow up to twenty feet high in right conditions. But it will need full sun, high temperature and lots of water to achieve this height. It is difficult for a shrub plant to reach its full potential without enough care and support.
The Nerium oleander has got an invasive root system that can become problematic if it is left unchecked. The invasiveness of Nerium oleander’s root system can cause problems for other plants of the garden.
Gardening experts suggest you to avoid planting Nerium oleander in your garden if you have children and pet.
Does oleander have deep roots?
Compared to other ornamental trees, oleander does not have deep enough roots. But if you compare the roots of oleander with other shrub plants, then you will find out that they have deep roots.
The reason behind its deep roots is the oleander’s ability to survive in different soils with different pH range.
The roots of oleander go deep into the soil in search of food nutrients and water. But wet soil can alter the growth of its roots and stop its spread. Otherwise, the roots of oleander plants will reach deep enough into the ground.
How deep are oleander roots?
Oleander plant has deep roots compared to other shrub plants. According to gardening experts, the ambitious roots of oleander plants tend to go very deep into the ground.
Some experts even believe that the roots of oleander plants can go as deep as four feet or close to fifty inches into the soil.
The deep roots of oleander plants are a blessing for them. They use these deep roots to gather food nutrients and water from untouched territory of the soil.
The rapid growth of oleander plants takes place due to its deep roots and their tendency to gather food nutrients.
What kind of root system does oleander have?
Most of the varieties of oleander share a common root system. So it is easy to describe the kind of root system oleander has compared to other plants. Let’s discuss in detail about the root system of oleander plants.
Invasive:
The first thing that can be said about the root system of oleander plants is that it is very invasive. Oleander plants use the invasiveness of the root system to their advantage and collect food nutrients and water from the soil.
Deep taproot:
The root system of the oleander plant can be described as being deep. The taproot of oleander plant can reach deep enough into the soil to provide structural support. Having a deep taproot helps the growth rate of oleander plant.
Strong roots:
The roots of oleander plants are also strong apart from being invasive. But the strong roots of oleander plants can be detrimental to the other plants and pipes near them. The strong roots of oleander plants can become a problem in the long run.
The strong roots of oleander plant reach far and wide and have to be contained using several gardening techniques and methods.
How big are oleander roots?
Different shrubs and trees have different root system. Oleander plants get their support from the taproot it possesses. The taproot of oleander can go very deep into the soil. So it can be said that oleander plants have got a big enough taproot.
The taproot of oleander plants is so big that it reaches almost five feet into the soil from its point of origin. The oleander plants utilizes its big root to support the weight of their body and grow up to ten feet tall on average.
Are oleander roots invasive?
Oleander is a shrub plant. But it does not mean that the root system of oleander plant is non invasive. Even the shrub plants can have invasive roots that can hamper the growth of other plants around it.
The roots of oleander plants are invasive enough to cause havoc in the garden if the growth of roots is not kept in check.
Other plants should be planted close to an oleander plant because of its invasiveness. The roots of oleander plants are also strong. Their invasiveness coupled with strong features is not a good sign for a gardener.
How far do oleander roots grow?
The root system of oleander plants can be described as being invasive. Their invasiveness gives the roots ability to spread far and wide.
It is believed by gardening experts that the roots of oleander can spread as far as twenty five feet from its point of origin.
The tendency of oleander roots to spread this far causes danger for the nearby plants and pipes. So you should take a moment to think about the decision of planting an oleander plant in the garden as an ornamental shrub.
Can Oleander roots damage foundation or pipes?
The oleander plants have strong enough roots despite being a shrub plant. But the important thing to remember here is that their roots are also invasive. The invasiveness of their strong roots makes the existence of oleander plants a problem for nearby pipes.
Oleander roots are not powerful enough to cause damage to the foundation of your house. But it can certainly poke a home in the sewer pipes and water pipes leading up to the house.
That is why gardening experts suggest you to plant the oleander plants at least twenty feet away from the pipes of your house.
Does oleander spread or multiply?
Oleander has the ability to spread or multiply without any help. People sometimes find it difficult to get rid of oleander from their garden. Because oleander plants can spread or multiply from leftover roots.
The oleander plants have to be removed from the root. Because the invasive roots of oleander plants can start to multiply or spread on its own. But the best way to spread or multiply the oleander plant is by planting its stem.
Final Thoughts
Invasive is the word that can be used to describe the root system of oleander plants. The invasive roots of oleander plants are strong enough to support its fast growth rate. Additionally, the invasive roots of oleander plants can spread far enough to damage the sewer pipes.