All About Oleander
If you are interested in ornamental plants, you need to check out the Oleander plant. This is a great flower that has been used for decorations for many years. Lots of people know this plant well and know what it can be used for and what bouquets that it can go in. It is important to understand all about this flower and the uses for it, and even more important to understand that this is a poisonous flower. Being educated on it will allow you to use it for certain things and will allow you to showcase its beauty.
Description of Oleander
With the Oleander, you are actually getting an evergreen shrub. This plant is part of the dogbane family, and it is very toxic. The important thing to note with the Oleander is that all parts of the plant are toxic, so being aware of that will help protect you. Oddly enough, when it comes to poisonous plants, this one is grown in quite a few people’s backyards and if you are going to grow it, you just need to be aware of the surroundings and keep pets and people from it. The shrub can actually grow to be about 20 feet tall, in the first year of growth; it has a very different look than the other years. It starts to flower after the first year and the flowers are usually red, white, or pink.
Uses for the Oleander Flower
With the Oleander plant being poisonous, people don’t tend to use this plant as often as they would if it hadn’t been poisonous. This is a plant that does give off a beautiful flower and does make some great arrangements. However, caution is always most important and since cutting it will cause toxins to release easier, you need to be careful. Most areas are using this plant for more landscaping than anything else, it makes a great barrier plant and it can be used for median planting in highways and that sort of thing. Even though this plant is poisonous, there are some great applications for it.
Growing the Oleander Flower
This plant is native more to the Mediterranean region than anywhere else in the world. You will find it in Morocco and Portugal mainly, however it can be found in China and throughout Asia also. The plant lends itself to growing around stream beds that are dry it is still leaning towards growing in a tropical and subtropical climate. You will find it in the United States, but it has some difficulty growing in the climates available for it. For cultivation, the plant has been used for planting in median strips on highways. If you want to attempt to grow this in a cooler climate, you are going to need to use a greenhouse.