It's only Oleander

Oleander is everywhere in Tucson. It is as common as the cactus here and used extensively in landscaping. I tend to look past the Oleander in my yard, but the other day when working in a couple small raised beds I have in the area near the citrus trees, I happened to notice it was in full bloom, and just how lovely it was. I have three colors of Oleander but have never known what variety they were. The pink ones are along the fence on the Southern side of my property.

The red is my favorite- It grows in the SW corner of my property, leaning out over the sidewalk.

The White Oleander that surround my back yard, providing a privacy barrier are huge! These get watered with the run off from my washing machine, so they tower over the other Oleander which don't get additional watering.



I did a little Oleander research for this post and discovered there is an International Oleander Society. Their website has great information, and a nice variety listing. I was amazed at all the pretty colors available. If you check out the website don't miss the poetry section. There is some beautiful Oleander themed Haiku and poetry there. I really enjoyed it. And the folklore section- Did you know that one Greek legend has it that Leander was a man who swam the Hellespont every night to see his beloved and one night he was drowned. His beloved wandered the beach calling "Oh Leander" and when she found his body a small white flower was in his hands. She kept it as a symbol of their love. I also confirmed what I had heard, that Oleander is extremely poisonous. Pretty to look at, with a very interesting history, but don't serve it up for dinner!