Oleander- Beautiful But Deadly

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Homes & Gardens

Sunday, 17 January 2010 05:55

By Simply XQuisite

If you live in the Caribbean, you're probably familiar with some variety of the oleander plant, and have been mesmerized by the range of colours from its bloom.

As a child, my grandmother used to warn us not to go into the neighbour’s garden, and besides the obvious trespassing issues, I could never understand why.  But looking back now, I recall that the yard was littered with pink oleanders. Can you imagine what would have happened had we not listened?

The oleander can be grown from bare root, cuttings, seed, or in containers, and can be found in almost every other yard in the country, in garden stores, plant dealers and nurseries, and even adorning many business properties. It works well in Antigua & Barbuda since we often experience low precipitation during most of the year, and the oleander has a very high tolerance for restricted water conditions. The plant can grow up to 12 ft in height.

In areas with problems involving stray animals, many residents use the oleander as a hedge around their properties, taking care not to plant it too close to the house, since it has extremely strong and aggressive roots. After a few years of growth, it is very difficult to remove the oleander, except by destroying it.

Red, white, pink, cream, and in between – the oleander plant produces spectacular blooms in a myriad of colors. This evergreen plant is very easy to grow and care for, and can be used as a tree, bush or hedge. It is one of nature’s most beautiful creations, but can prove fatal if ingested by humans and animals.

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