Oleander is a popular landscape shrub in the desert southwest. It has many desirable features, but are they enough to offset this plant’s serious drawbacks?
Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a highly popular and attractive shrub that thrives in the desert southwest. This versatile Mediterranean native is fast-growing, withstands a wide variety of conditions, flowers profusely, and requires minimal care.
It can grow up to 20 feet tall, making it a great choice for creating a hedge and providing privacy. It’s so tough that it’s planted along thousands of miles of roads and highways.
But do these benefits outweigh its significant issues?
“To some, oleander is a spectacular summer-flowering shrub; to others it is a monstrous pariah, indicative of all that is wrong in desert gardens.”
– author Mary Irish in “Arizona Gardener’s Guide”
If you’re thinking about adding oleander to your landscape, here are 5 factors to consider before you proceed.
And at the end of this article, I’ll suggest three of the best oleander substitutes.
1. Oleanders Are Highly Toxic
Oleander is considered one of the most toxic plants on the planet, containing over 50 toxic compounds. If you have kids or pets, this is the best reason I can think of to avoid planting it in your yard.
Several toxic compounds are found in all parts of oleander, most notably oleandrin. Ingestion of this cardiac glycoside results in severe abdominal distress, convulsions, coma, and heart failure. Just one leaf contains enough oleandrin to kill an adult.
Coming in contact with oleanders, especially the sap, can cause hives or a rash. Burning oleander releases toxins into the air.
Oleander is highly toxic to pets and livestock. The ASPCA lists this plant as toxic to dogs, cats, goats, cattle, sheep, parakeets, and rabbits. It’s so toxic that as few as 5 leaves can kill a cow.
If you suspect someone has ingested oleander,
call 800-222-1222 or visit PoisonHelp.org.
If you suspect a pet has consumed oleander,
call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435.
2. Oleanders Are Considered Invasive
While oleanders aren’t highly invasive like buffelgrass or stinknet, they have escaped cultivation around the southwest.
The University of Arizona considers them invasive.
Pockets of invasive oleanders have been found many national parks and forests including Tonto National Forest (near Phoenix) and Saguaro National Park (near Tucson).
The US National Park Service has reported invasive oleanders in Lake Mead National Park (NV) and even in one of the least hospitable places in the country — Death Valley National Park (CA).
It should come as no surprise that it’s also escaped cultivation throughout the much wetter southeastern US, too. It is reported as invasive in every state between Texas and South Carolina.
3. Oleanders Offer No Value to Native Pollinators
You might assume that a plant that flowers as profusely as oleander would be beneficial to pollinators, but they play a trick on them instead. Oleander is a “deceit pollinator.”
This means they produce attractive flowers to entice birds and insects to visit, but there is no nectar. So pollinators do the plant’s bidding by spreading pollen, while wasting their energy and getting nothing in return.
4. Oleanders Are Prone to Deadly Diseases
Oleanders are tough, but they aren’t invincible. And now there’s a new disease in town — oleander leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa).
This bacterial disease was first noticed on plants in southern California in the 1990s and has now spread to Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. Leaf scorch can look a lot like underwatering — branches droop and leaves suddenly turn yellow and then brown. Since it’s spread by flying insects (usually sharpshooters), it’s impossible to stop the spread. Currently, there is no known cure, and leaf scorch is always fatal.
Another bacterial disease that oleanders face is oleander gall (Pseudomonas syringae). This appears as wart-like bumps on the branches. You can try selectively pruning infected areas and then treating each cut with a 10% bleach solution. But if the disease is widespread, it’s recommended you remove the affected plant.
5. Oleander Roots Can Cause Damage
And finally, oleanders are large plants with robust root systems that spread wide rather than going deep. They can damage foundations, garden walls, patios, and water lines. If you do decide to plant an oleander, keep it well away from your house, hardscaping, and other structures.
Also note that once planted, they are extremely difficult to get rid of.
4 Oleander Alternatives
You may have found one or more of these oleander problems to be a deal breaker. If you would like a plant with the traits of oleander but without the drawbacks, here are four plants that make good oleander alternatives.
Hop Bush
If your goal in planting oleander was to create an expanse of green to block an unattractive view or give you privacy, hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa) is an excellent alternative.
It shares many characteristics of oleander — fast-growing, low-maintenance, evergreen, and tolerant of a wide variety of conditions.
It’s native to the desert southwest and is grown mainly for its foliage, since its flowers are charming but rather insignificant. They resemble small Chinese lanterns which turn from creamy yellow to delicate pink as they mature.
I have a row of ‘Emerald Ice’ hop bushes that obstruct my view of a cement block wall. I love their vivid green, a color not often found in the desert.
Arizona Rosewood
Arizona rosewood (Vauzuelinia californica) is another low-maintenance native evergreen shrub that makes a good oleander substitute. Its evergreen foliage provides a dense screen. It’s a slow to moderate grower, but it can ultimately reach a height of 15 to 20 feet.
It’s covered with white flowers, but only in the spring. So, if having masses of perpetual flowers was your main interest in planting oleander, consider this next plant instead.
Lemon Bottlebrush
For a stunning floral display that outdoes oleander, take a look at lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus). This tough Australian native is literally dripping with scarlet flowers that bloom most of the year.
Bottlebrush is a magnet for bees and hummingbirds and, unlike oleander, actually rewards them with nectar. It can be shaped into either a large shrub or a small tree.
It gets its name from the lemony fragrance the leaves have when crushed. It’s also called scarlet bottlebrush.
Texas Olive
If you’re looking for a tall option, consider Texas olive (Cordia boissieri). It is a small multi-trunk evergreen tree that’s covered with large white flowers spring through fall. Depending on how you prune it, it can be grown as either a shrub or a tree.
It can take full sun and the heat of a reflected wall, but it’s not quite as cold-hardy as oleander.
As you can see in this picture, when pruned as a shrub, it looks much like a white oleander.
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
