Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Gentianales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Nerium oleander
FAMILY
Apocynaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Oleander at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nerium oleander
FAMILY
Apocynaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Nerium oleander
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Nerium oleander
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Nerium oleander
COMMON NAME:
Oleander
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm080410_059
April Charleston County SC
Caution! All parts of the plant are poisonous, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).
)
JK Marlow jkm080410_064
April Charleston County SC
Frequently cultivated on barrier islands because of its salt resistance, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm080410_070
April Charleston County SC
)
JK Marlow s080410_b
April Charleston County SC
)
JK Marlow s080410_c
April Charleston County SC
Leaf midvein prominent abaxially, lateral veins numerous and parallel, per Flora of China.
)
JK Marlow jkm090515_047
May Georgetown County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm090515_052
May Georgetown County SC
In cultivation
)
Paul Thompson pstnerium_oleander
September?
Note very fine parallel lateral veins and sticky sap. Poisonous. — Clemson Extension
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Nerium oleander
FAMILY
Apocynaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nerium oleander
FAMILY
Apocynaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Nerium oleander
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Nerium oleander
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Nerium oleander
2637
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Frequently cultivated, especially on barrier islands (because of its salt resistance), sometimes persistent or weakly naturalizing, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Mediterranean Europe
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Opposite or whorls of 3-4
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
White/Cream/Pink/Lilac/Red/Yellow/Orange
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5-lobed funnelform corolla
5 stamens
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Paired follicles
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".