Q: Why are the oleander trees that line the median along Highway 178 (roughly between Union and Mount Vernon avenues) dying? They have always been so beautiful this time of year and leave a positive impression on my friends and family when they come for graduations, weddings and Father’s Day celebrations.
— Mary Jones

A: First off, these aren’t trees. Oleander is a bush.
Second, there are a couple of reasons why these shrubs might be suffering, said Fred Steele, Caltrans landscape specialist for District 6, which includes Bakersfield.
Too much or too little water can affect them.
Also, several oleander bushes have been hurt by oleander leaf scorch, Steele said.
Caused by a bacteria, the leaves on one or more branches yellow and droop. As the disease progresses, more branches of the plant are affected, and the plant dies.
In general, though, oleanders are hardy plants, he said. “There’s really not much that kills oleanders.”