Nerium oleander

Belongs to the Apocynaceae family, which includes Frangipani (Plumeria rubra) and the large Ditta Bark Tree (Alstonia scholaris).

Description: Moderate size, very attractive flowering shrub, growing to 8 m tall (25 ft), with thin erect branches and hairy young stems; leaves dark green, leathery, opposite, in whorls of three, are elongated, narrowly elliptical with pointed ends and conspicuous midvein,13-20 cm long (5-8 in); flowers pink (var roseum), white (var album), cream or red, bell-shaped, 4 cm or more long (1.6 in) and 2.5-4 cm across (1-1.5 in), in terminal clusters, with flowering profuse and continuous; narrow pod-like fruits are 10-20 cm long (4-8 in); several “single” and “double” varieties exist; plant contains a poisonous milky sap, which in young branches is clear; all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and livestock, ingestion causes vomiting, abdominal pain, convulsions, coma and death.

Natural Habitat: Specially suited to dry, sunny areas at lower elevations; propagation by seeds, cuttings or layering.

Origin and Distribution: Native to the Mediterranean and Eurasia; now common throughout the Caribbean and rest of tropical and sub-tropical world.