Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Friday - November 11, 2005
From: Kingman, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Propagation of non-native, poisonous oleanders
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
How do I propagate oleanders? Can the cuttings be rooted in water? Or is it better to use rooting hormone and stick the cuttings in the soil?ANSWER:
Our area of study and expertise at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is limited to native North American plant species. Oleander, Nerium oleander is a native of the eastern Mediterranean, northern Africa and southeastern Asia. The beautiful, but extremely poisonous evergreen shrub has been planted widely in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the United States for many years.
If you wish to propagate your oleander, you should take care not to ingest or otherwise expose yourself to the sap of the plant. All parts very poisonous; even exposure to smoke from burning oleander is harmful. A single leaf ingested by a small child can be fatal and there are many cases of oleander poisoning when branches were used to spear food for grilling.
Nerium oleander is best propagated by stem cuttings, but layering and seed propagation are also useful. Oleander stem cuttings can be easily rooted in water. Here is a well written article on Stem Cutting Propagation, published by North Carolina State University. Finally, an excellent resource on oleander culture is the website of the International Oleander Society.
More Non-Natives Questions
Fragrant native plants for San Antonio, TX
August 19, 2009 - I live in San Antonio, Texas, and I am re-landscaping my backyard after my dog ate some of the beautiful blooming oleander and had to spend some time at the vet's. My backyard is my sanctuary, and it...
view the full question and answer
Containing Japanese Wisteria Roots
November 22, 2015 - I have some Japanese wisteria plants that I would like to plant inside root barriers but I cannot find any info on how deep the roots go. Do you know if a 2 ft deep root barrier for trees can contain ...
view the full question and answer
Ridding non-native centipede grass of native rattlesnake weed in Myrtle Beach SC
April 25, 2010 - How do I get rid of "rattlesnake weed" in my lawn of centipede grass in Myrtle Beach SC?
view the full question and answer
Protecting plants from birds near bird feeder
April 24, 2009 - I am happy to have several cardinal pairs living in my yard, but I need to discourage them from eating & destroying my purple heart planted under the huge cedar that holds my bird feeders. The cardina...
view the full question and answer
Growing non-native Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Central Texas
July 01, 2013 - Hi. I recently moved into a remodeled home in Taylor, TX, and have experimented with Cabernet Savignon vines before. I have a 1/2 acre and a chain-link fence I want to put vines on. (I have a book o...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |