A lot of people don't like Oleanders. They send up a lot of suckers, they shed, and they can be poisonous if eaten and send out toxic smoke if burned. I happen to think their flowers are pretty and I appreciate that they are a hardy, low water, easy to grow plant in the desert. They do need some water though. They will die without any water. When I lived in Yuma, AZ the drip system next to my house broke and the Oleanders died from lack of water.
They grow easily from seed. I grew this one from seeds collected from a neighbor's plant. I especially like Oleanders when they are trained as a tree as opposed to a bush. I hope to train this one in to a tree but it takes many years for the branches to become woody enough to support the weight.
In the mean time I will enjoy the flowers of my Oleader while I wait for it to grow up and screen my neighbor's yard.
1 comment:
Oleanders thrive anywhere carbon monoxide emissions are present... that is why oleanders are poisonous.
They are the amazingly efficient mechanisms for scrubbing toxins from the environment.
My Dad knew this and from childhood I was transplanting oleanders as privacy hedges and noise barriers for his business properties in southern California. In fifty-odd years I reckon I planted thousands of oleanders. Hate 'em >grin<
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