🔍 Oleander | Nerium oleander 🌸
📍 Escazú, San José, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
💬 Despite its stunning blooms, every single part of the oleander plant is toxic — from the flowers to the roots — making it one of the most poisonous ornamental plants in the world. Yet it thrives in gardens everywhere, proof that beauty and danger often go hand in hand.
Flora
Oleander | Nerium oleander
Basic ID
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Other Common Names
Rose Bay, Laurier Rose
Plant Type
Evergreen Shrub
Flower / Leaf Color
Deep pink to rose-red blooms; long, narrow dark green leaves
Lifespan
Perennial
Size
Height
2–6 m
Spread
1–3 m
Habitat & Behavior
Uses
Ornamental, traditional medicine (toxic — not for consumption)
Wildlife Attraction
Butterflies, hummingbirds
Native Region
Mediterranean Basin to Southwest Asia
Current Distribution
Worldwide (tropical and subtropical regions)
Habitat
Gardens, roadsides, urban landscapes, dry slopes
Sources: IUCN Red List · Plants of the World Online · USDA PLANTS Database · Encyclopedia of Life