On Wed, 14 May 2003 09:31:05 -0700, "Starlord"
wrote:

It was all over the News last year here in S.Calif. on the major network news
shows.

Anyone who don't think Oleander's are not poisonous is living a fools dream.
Have you ever workd around them? I have as I do like the plant and it's flowers
and it's the one plant that you see almost no bugs eating, and for good reson
too.

Thanks I found the article. It also stated these were the only
reported cases in 30 years. I continue to search for additional cases,
but it still seems there are more poisonings from other plants.

Yes I have worked around them in the landscape trade for 16 years in
the desert SW. There are a number of sucking insects that feed on
them. Aphids swarm the buds and flowers as if they were overfed roses,
in most yards. Since I don't use chemical fertilizers and overwater
they are not a problem for me. They provide a beautiful large blooming
shrub to hide the neighbors rug rats splashing about in the pool.

I suspect there's more to the story in LA, the story goes on to say
they were not eaten in the family yard. I wonder what a 2 and 3 year
old were doing unattended in a strangers yard?


"Nature, left alone, is in perfect balance.
Harmful insects and plant diseases are always present,
but do not occur in nature to an extent which requires the use of poisonous chemicals.
The sensible approach to disease and insect control is to grow sturdy crops in a healthy environment."

Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution--1978