AusBonsai

Hi all, need help identifying this tree. It was growing along the side of one of the work buildings so had to go. I nicknamed it "the terminator" as I've sprayed it twice with some pretty potent herbicide and it survived both times. Figured if it can survive that it should be able to survive anything I can do to it

Privet?

Nope, its a Oleander.

Yes of course, they are poisonous too, take care.

Oh oleanders scare me. They're super poisonous to dogs apparently. Although they do look really cool when they flower. There are a few oleander hedges I drive past and when they're in flower they look awesome. Pity.

I remember my grandma used to tell me a story of the two bushman who broke a branch off an oleander and used it to stir their bush kettle... suffice to say that they did not last very long. I always remember that story when I see oleanders lol

I never thought they were suitable to bonsai, but have actually seen a couple that are pretty good. May as well give it a try... just wash your hands after work

Thanks guys, guess I'll keep this one at work, away from the young'uns. See what happens

Hi Pheonix,

at first glance I thought it may have been an olive, but yes, I agree it may well be an oleander.

Please heed the advise to how toxic this plant is.

All parts of the oleander is poionous, leaves, sap, flowers....everything !

Also the toxins stay with the plants material, wether it is fresh or dried....alive or dead.

So take care when disposing any part of it, dont even be tempted to place twigs on a fire, as the smoke is also toxic.

For those who enjoy Adenium or desert rose, this is a close relative to the oleander, and is equally as poisonous !


Regards

Paul

Hmm, thanks for the warning Paul. Think this might end up in the tip, sounds like more trouble than it's worth

PaulC wrote:
For those who enjoy Adenium or desert rose, this is a close relative to the oleander, and is equally as poisonous !


Regards

Paul

I have a desert rose Paul, and never realized this! Argh! Thanks for the warning.

I have successfully Killed on in the ground
Cut back to the stump and then piant on Roundup (undiluted), and repeat any time you see new growth.

Ken

Hi all

There are all too many stories about the poisoning results of the Oleander. Most of it is just myth!!!!

Everyone seems to have heard the story about dogs being poisoned by oleander, the stories only vary in small details. As far as I have been able to discover it is an urban myth. The other one is that a farmer used a stick off a Oleander to stir his tea and died. This also appears to be an myth.

True the alkaloids in Oleander are very poisonous and handling them requires care. BUT the alkaloids are so bitter that to chew them or drink the tea would be extremely unlikely. I have read that u would need to add at least half a cup of sugar to the tea to make it palatable!

It is interesting that the alkaloids in all parts of the tomato plant except the fruit are just as poisonous and far more palatable. So should we completely discard tomatoes?

By all means use care with handling them, but they are outstanding flowering plants for our drought inclined climate.

Dennis Mc

A quick Google search labels most deaths as urban legend, and any real ones as suicide attempts by consuming the plant

You named it well Terminator. First reported by Captain Cook, as one of his sailors used a stick to stir their porridge. Same with cycads, the macrozamia. Deadly fruit. The Aborigines prepared it very well leaching, (to kill fish too in ponds) roasting and grinding into sacred bread. They used to fire the plantations first to make the tree bear more fruit.

Poinsettia are the same too. I don't know if they actually kill, but will make you ill.

Funny story, we had one outside the pub I owned. The locals would pee on it, and never killed it. One said , "Probably fertilizing it". LOL.

Cheers

It is a fact, most of our garden plants can be toxic. Handling tomato plants, would irritate my skin. I see warnings on some of my pre-bonsai starters too. And laburnum! We had them as street trees in England. Everyone knew that the seeds were toxic. Stupid kids, made a brew out of morning glory, dead. Trumpet flowers the same. Well - they have evolved to protect themselves, there is a primate somewhere, can't remember where, that eats toxic leaves,

There was a really funny book I read once titled 'Who planted that damn thing there) and mentioned the liquid amber's spiky seeds. Don't like your grandkids bare feet. LOL.