Oleander
Does anyone have any thoughts on Oleander? I just bought a small tree and planted it today. I know it can be poisonous, but they are so pretty and so easy to take care of. Does anyone know if animals are drawn to it? I love it, but I'm a bit worried about it because some neighbors allow their cats to roam free. I don't have any problems with Jesse because she doesn't eat plants. I don't want to harm any animals, but at the same time I don't want to not have my garden the way I want it because of irresponsible neighbors.
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Oleander is pretty. I like it, but because it's semi-tropical, to grow it hear we have to store it indoors in the winter while it's dormant.
It is poisonous, but I wouldn't worry since it grows wild all over florida. What colour do you have? I grow a plant in the same family here. It's called plumeria. If I lived where you are I would have SOOOOO MANY of them!! It is a little toxic, but not as much. It also smells SOOOO good. |
We got a red one. I like it too because it's semi-tropical and super easy to take care of. It's one of those plants that loves full sun and you just plant it and leave it. It's great. I also planted a bunch of petunia seeds all around it.
As for plumeria, that's my next garden splurge. We are going to be putting a deck in the back next month and after that's done, I plan on "decorating" it with plumeria and maybe some jasmine. In the front we planted a bunch of birds of paradise, tea plants, and hibiscus. I also have a big tea olive. It's kind of like Jasmine, but it gives off this sweet smell of apricots. It's so nice. I have it by the front door. We love tropical plants and the whole tropical scene. I just killed all the weeds in the yard and will be putting more grass seed down in two weeks. We have a tiki bar and lots of fun stuff like that. I think it's a very relaxing and serene scene when it all comes together. I'll put up pictures once we get everything done. I can't wait to get the plumeria. Jim knows it's next on the garden list. I just keep creating more work for us, but it's fun work. |
just a tip on the plumeria. It's so abundant in Florida that in the spring, many people who have full size trees (and they do grow large if you let them) will do pruning, and throw out all their cut peices in the garbage. MOst plumerias are grown from cuttings, and they don't have to be fresh either! I had cuttings shipped to me, and didn't plant them for 3 months and they were fine still.
So go for a drive early saturday mornings and see what people throw out. Also keep an eye our for public parks/gardens, as they tend to throw out a lot of peices you could easily take and grow with. Also, if you are driving around and see a nice plumeria on someone's property, doesn't hurt to drop by and ask for a cutting! I know a lot of people who do this. |
If I get lucky enough to find some trimmings would you like me to send some to you?
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Nice thought, but Canada Customs would confiscate them. They need a "phyto-certificate" which costs about $50 US. I already have 8 plants right now, which is enough for me until I own a house. I got 4 from cuttings (there is a guy who ships a bunch up and sells them in TOronto at the Canadian national Exhibition in September), and the other 4 I grew from seeds. At least seeds I can get without a problem here!
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You will get differing opinions. Mine - and from considerable literature that I have read - is that it is very poisonous - especially to dogs that love to sniff and chew plant branches. I live in Toronto where weather is not best suited to oleanders, but when out searching for a plant to put in a very pretty large container that I bought, the store tried to sell me an oleander. I knew it was poisonous, but goodled it and actually one fellow in South Carolina said that children had been poisoned by making whistle sticks from branches. Just a differing opinion. I can't keep a mum alive - silk plants have it tough enough near me - but on the day or 2 that a real plant has lived at my house, my cats as well were all over it.
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Here in the Central Valley of Calif, Oleanders thrive. I had 5 white Oleanders in my yard which were beautiful. I will never plant them again for several reasons. They grow aggressively. I was constantly having to prune and pull off the new growth around the base. The flowers drop constantly and have to be raked out of the flower beds. They attract aphids, which in turn attracts ants. Every part of the plant is deadly. Mine were pruned into multi-trunk trees and I did receive many compliments. They are drought tolerant and love the heat. I just planted a new tree in my new backyard - a Crape Myrtle!
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I had one, left it outside this winter and it kicked the bucket. Tucker is terrible for chewing on my tree type plants so I just didn't bring it in this fall. I would rather lose the plant than Tucker. It was beautiful bright pink though.
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I only bought one and it'll bloom red. It's pretty small right now (bigger than a plant, but not quite a tree yet) and I planted a bunch of petunia seeds in a big circle around it and put a litte "fence" around it so I think it'll be alright. I don't plan on letting it get too big. Jesse isn't one to go up to plants and trees and just start gnawing on them. The only time she is interested in trees is if we pick up a stick to get her attention, then she wants to play with it, but if it's just lying on the ground, nothing. As soon as we touch it, it's the greatest toy in the world!!!
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I have a few in my back yard and never had a problem with the dogs bothering them. Here in Texas they are everywhere. I know that they are poisonous but like I said the animals never bother them, it's almost like they know they are poisonous. They'll chew the other plants and pinecones but not the oleander.
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Jackie, now I feel better about planting it. Thank you.
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