Poorly Oleader.

nonnasusie - We are in Roma Nord area. Did you get the
big freeze too? Otherwise, it wasn't a bad winter.

Whereabouts are you Giulia? We're near Cassino!

I have one oleander snug under the hedge and facing south, and it survived the winter ok but hasn’t really flowered or grown. I’m hoping this hot dry spell will make it feel more at home.

We had one really bad night here outside of Rome last winter. ALL the oleanders were totally burnt.
My neighbours has a line of about 20. He cut them all right down to almost ground level about two months ago.
I can see new green shoots growing up along the Whole row. So, don't worry. It will grow back bigger and healthier.
As to the plants being poisonous: we have plenty of cats wandering around here and the oleanders do not bother them at all.

I have a NZ bottle brush and about four years ago it looked a poor straggly old thing so I gave it a good prune back I really thought I d killed it the following year it struggled but now four years on its in full force and looking lovely and full of red bottle brushes
So I would give it a go

I'm rather tempted to cut it right back. I do have to be careful though as OH ( not a Gardner) doesn't understand cutting back
My beautiful bottle brush has suffered as well
I don't know what I was thinking. I've got that gauzy stuff to cover 'tender' plants, but I just sat in the conservatory looking at the snow and thinking: ooh isn't it lovely!!!

Be careful what you do with the prunings as the whole plant is poisonous! I wanted one but changed my mind when I found out how dangerous they can be especially if there are children or animals in the garden.

we lost a palm a few winters ago and thought that it was gone forever until the following spring and 5 years shot through and now it is huge and I don't like it .waaay too big for the garden.

I am very sorry to see your struggling oleander following that rather severe wintry spell.

Sadly I am wondering if it is going to suffer the same fate as many of our mature palms..............out of all the some 12 we have ...........all doing very well,we have lost 4 already and may well lose another two..............so heartbreaking.
The one in the picture, such a beautiful specimen has lost several legs since this picture was taken.

Though with palms there is every likelyhood they will again regrow.

I do not know whether this could apply to your poorly plant Petra...........but I hope it does survive as they are so pretty when in bloom.

Last year I cut mine back - really hard! - and they're flourishing this year. It's given them a new lease of life and made them bushier, rather than straggly.