Oleander: Eating a Single Leaf of This Deadly Plant is Enough to Kill an Adult Human

Oleander is a common landscape if not house plant in places with warmer climates, and with good reason: this almost foolproof evergreen shrub comes in a wide range of shapes, sizes, adaptability, and flower color. However, before you plant, you should be aware of oleander toxicity and the possibility of oleander poisoning.

Related Article: Gardening 101: The Basics of Growing Your Own Plants

Oleander Plant

Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a showy, funnel-shaped evergreen shrub or small tree coveted by home gardeners for its vivid, funnel-shaped blooms. Oleander is a member of the Apocynaceae, or dogbane, family and is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 10. Oleanders are a common landscape plant because they proliferate and are easy to maintain. However, all aspects of this plant are extremely poisonous, and it is considered invasive in some areas.

Unfortunately, whether the plant is fresh or dry, oleander in the landscape is considered extremely. Unfortunately, whether the plant is fresh or dry, oleander in the landscape is considered highly poisonous.

The good news is that oleander toxicity has caused relatively few human deaths, owing to the plant's vile flavor, according to BioWeb at the University of Wisconsin.

The bad news, according to UW, is that oleander poisoning has killed many animals, including dogs, cats, pigs, horses, and even birds. Although a small amount may result in severe illness or death.

Oleander plants are tough shrubs or trees with clear, gummy sap. The deep green leathery lance-shaped foliage can be arranged in whorls or opposite along the branches. Funnel-shaped flowers bloom in clusters at the twig tips from summer to fall and are available in white, pink, red, or purple. The flowers are usually plentiful, and certain oleander varieties have a good scent. Oleanders typically reach a height of 6 to 12 feet and spread the same width, but some may be learned to grow into small trees up to 20 feet tall.

Which Parts are Poisonous?

Cardiac glycosides, saponins, digitoxigenin, oleandrin, oleondroside, nerioside, and other unknown toxins are all found in oleander plants. These poisons can be present in all oleander plants and are poisonous whether the plant is dry or alive. Every portion of the oleander plant that is consumed will cause serious illness and even death.

Ingesting oleander plant parts can cause a wide range of symptoms, from mild to extreme and sometimes fatal. Face rashes, blurred vision, visual hallucinations such as halos, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, lack of appetite, erratic or slowed heartbeat, fatigue, low blood pressure, confusion, dizziness, headache, fainting, exhaustion, drowsiness, or lethargy are just some of the symptoms. Depression, lack of appetite, and vision halos are usually only seen in cases of severe poisoning.

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What to Do When One Accidentally Ingests Oleanders

Oleanders are extremely poisonous, meaning that even a tiny portion of the plant will cause poisoning symptoms.

According to the National Institute of Health, getting medical attention as soon as possible raises the chances of a complete recovery. Never cause vomiting until a medical practitioner advises you to.

If you think anyone has eaten oleander, contact the National Poison Control Center. If you have any concerns about your animals or a cat, call a veterinarian right away.

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