On 3/18/2014 5:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:

Isn't the oleander poisonous to pets and children? Am I thinking of
the right plant? I had a tenant in the Valley once who asked me to
take out an oleander on his front lawn.

Yes, it is quite toxic. But then it is also quite bitter. No one --
especially a child -- would eat enough to cause a problem.

Generally, oleander poisoning occurs in parks. Stupid people cut long
thin branches -- vandalizing public property -- and use them as skewers
to BBQ hotdogs or toast marshmallows.

A leaf from a peach tree might be more toxic (cyanide) than a leaf from
oleander. A pet might die eating foxglove flowers (digitalis) as easily
as eating oleander flowers. Watch out for raw rhubarb, star jasmine,
holly berries, and other attractive vegetation in our gardens.

I understand that the seeds in an apple are quite toxic. Unbroken, they
travel through the digestive tract without any problem. Even slightly
broken while chewing the edible part of an apple, they can make you ill.

One of the worst is the kernel inside a peach pit. It looks like an
almond (a close relative). It can kill you.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary