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Apocynaceae
Oleander
Nerium oleander
Caution, beauty with danger, romance.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Nerium
- Native to
- Mediterranean, Southwest Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- evergreen shrub or small tree
- Height
- 2–6 m
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, tolerates many
- Water
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant
- Hardiness
- 8–11
- Lifespan
- Perennial; long-lived
Did you know
- Oleander is one of the most poisonous garden plants in the world — every part contains potent cardiac glycosides, and even smoke from burning leaves is toxic.
- Despite the toxicity, oleander has been cultivated for over 2,000 years and is widely used as a decorative hedge in Mediterranean climates.
- Oleander is the national flower of Hiroshima, Japan — it was the first plant to bloom after the atomic bombing in 1945, becoming a symbol of resilience.
- Roman wall paintings in Pompeii (preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE) include depictions of oleander.
- Oleander is incredibly drought- and pollution-tolerant, which is why it's planted along highways throughout the American Southwest and California.