Nerium oleander
Poisonous plant
Common name
oleander
Family
Apocynaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Habitat
Terrestrial. Persisting in the vicinity of old plantations.
Features
Much-branched shrub to about 4 m high. Leaves opposite and shortly petiolate, to 15 x 2.5 cm on flowering shoots, to 25 x 4 cm on suckering shoots. Large pink flowers with reddish-purple calyx. Flowers are usually single but can be semi-double. Fruits are uncommon, but are up to 18 cm long when produced.
Similar taxa
Nerium is widely cultivated and over 400 varieties have been described, but there is just 1 species in the genus.
Flowering
November, December, January, February, March.
Flower colours
Red/Pink
Life cycle
Seed is only formed when 2 or more varieties are grown together.
Year naturalised
1950
Origin
Mediterranean region, S.W. Asia
Reason for introduction
Ornamental.
Tolerances
Appears restricted to the warmest parts of New Zealand.
Poisonous plant
All parts of this plant are very poisonous.