A gardening friend asked me to examine her oleander houseplants and find out why they are dying. She had three 4 to 5 foot high plants in large containers. They were given to her two years ago and bloomed magnificently in a protected area outside last summer. They overwintered inside in a fairly cool room with good light and looked healthy until April when the leaves began to turn yellow, then brown. She cut one back to healthy stock, repotted it even though the roots looked fine, but the disease or whatever continued down the stems and the plant is now quite dead. The other two are outside now, since late May, but very unhealthy. It is not a problem with over watering or poor soil, but seems to be a virus or bacteria which has invaded and cutting back the diseased portion is of no help. I know nothing about oleanders (and very little about most houseplants) and have not been able to find out anything that might point to an answer for her. There is something called oleander leaf scorch attacking these lovely plants in the south where they grow outside all year. Would it be the reason for the demise of houseplants as well?
