Dear
Craig,
By
chance, I caught part of your radio program last Sunday.
You were talking about plants that are poisonous to
animals. I do love the look of oleanders but have been
afraid to plant them because of the stories I’ve heard
over the years. Are there any substitutes that can be
planted with a similar look? And could you please provide
a list of the other plants you were talking about.
Pam
Desert
Foothills
Dear
Pam,
Thank
you for listening to the Carefree Gardener radio program.
I believe that the oleander has gotten a bad rap–not
just because it is poisonous, but also due to the fact
this plant has been named the freeway shrub. Oleanders
are planted along freeways because they are very hardy,
drought tolerant, and critters don’t eat them. And they
act as great visual and sound barriers, with abundant
color that blooms throughout the warm seasons. But,
yes, they are toxic and can cause problems if ingested
by humans or animals, although I believe it is rare
for animals–except for maybe goats, horses and cattle
–to graze on them.
The
fact is that there are few substitutes for the oleander
and its hybrid species. And to complicate matters, many
of the plants that we install in gardens today are very
toxic, but most people don’t know about their toxicity
and plant them without concern. Most animals don’t like
the bitter taste of toxic plants, and many animals know
to stay away from them altogether. I have had oleanders
planted as a screen for years without any trouble with
my three dogs and cat.
Here
is a partial list of substitute plants that are commonly
grown in place of oleander today:
·
Leucophyllum spp. Common names: Texas sage, green cloud
sage, etc. Not known if toxic.
·
Cassia spp. Common names: Feathery cassia, Silver leaf
cassia, Popcorn cassia, Green cassia. All Cassia are
toxic.
·
Thevetia Peruviana. Common names: Lucky Nut or Yellow
Oleander. Very toxic.
·
Ruellia spp. Common names: Baja Ruellia, British Ruellia.
Not known if toxic.
Since
there are so many toxic plants used in landscapes today
and many of the plants used to replace oleanders are
also toxic, I see no problem in using the beautiful
oleander in your landscape. The exception would be areas
that contain grazing animals, such as horses and cattle.
