My daughter is removing all toxic plants (and a few others
from where the pool is going ;-) from her new yard in St.
Pete Beach. One is a dwarf oleander...

The hot dog skewer story is about as rampant as the Neiman
Marcus cookie recipe.

While the toxic info above is true, the likelihood of
consuming enough to bring on toxic effects is unlikely
because all parts taste down right nasty... The actual
number of reported poisonings is extremely low as a result.

I'd say the pool is the GREATER hazard here. ;^)

snip does anyone know of oleander as a bonsai?

I've played with some- kinda have to to keep my Festival
invitation ;^)

They've been a novelty more than anything so I've never
photo'd my attempts.

You have to overcome the straightness of the branches, just
like any other tree. I suppose there are two roads you can
go down- clump styles for flowers (i.e., banyan/mushroom
top) or keep at the sucker growth, developing a tree form.
You can get some movement through pruning, can be
drastically pruned back and will break all over the place.

Probably easily trained by clip and grow (we use them like
hedges here).

Oleander will JUST survive in lower zone 8; though I'd
have to give it more protection than I give most of the
rest of my trees.

You should be fine- I'm "8b" and give mine no protection at
all.

As far as post collection aftercare, keep it plenty moist.
They are wonderfully drought tolerant but seem to like
dampness when throwing out new roots. The easiest way of
propagating uses WOODY bark sections, stripped of leaves,
soaked in a bucket of water till roots appear...

Good Luck!

Jim Stone
Galveston, TX
home of the INTERNATIONAL OLEANDER FESTIVAL
(presumptuous little old ladies aren't they!)

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