There are so many good things to say about Nerium oleander. It's a tough, long-flowering, ornamental shrub or informal hedge that provides an effective screen in a Southern landscape.
Oleander flowers from early summer until mid-autumn with large clusters of red, pink, yellow or white, single or double blossoms.
Its one negative trait is the thing that’s likely to give gardeners pause: oleander is toxic to humans and pets, every part of it, and the outcome of ingesting even a small amount of it can be dire.
Its one negative trait is the thing that’s likely to give gardeners pause: oleander is toxic to humans and pets, every part of it, and the outcome of ingesting even a small amount of it can be dire.
Its poisonous ingredients are two potent cardiac glycosides, oleandrin and neriine, according to the National Institute of Health. The toxins in even a small amount ingested can lead to serious illness or be fatal to humans and animals.
Symptoms of poisoning include serious heart rhythm disorders along with nausea and vomiting, cramping and bloody diarrhea. It also causes confusion, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness and visual disturbances, according to the NIH.
Oleander's Origin Oleander is a dense, fast-growing evergreen shrub that has been around since ancient times, native to North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean regions.