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. Aside from their total toxicity (roots,
stems, leaves, flowers and seeds), does anyone know of oleander
as a bonsai? This one is 4 feet tall and wide, and quite rugged
looking, and was planted in the 50s. We'll be there next weekend
.. . .

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.

It is amazing how many tropicals can make you ill!

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Is it a Nerium Oleander ?

I did some research on its toxicity a few years ago.
N. oleander is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental
plant. It is native only in the Mediterranean region
(Kingsbury, 1964; Hardin & Arena, 1974).

Well, you can find the plant here in Crete absolutely
everywhere. Hot spots include the roadsides and parks.

Never seen it as a Bonsai.

Dimitris.





__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
http://search.yahoo.com

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Jim: Oleander tend to grow with long, straight branches, so they are not ideal
candidates for bonsai. I don't recall seeing any nice bonsai oleander, but I do
know they are common in our latitude. They are planted in the medians of I-10 and
other roads throughout the New Orleans area. I believe Galveston, TX has an
Oleander Festival every year.
Oleander is one of the plants listed as toxic which really does pose a
danger. Reportedly one leaf is considered sufficient to kill an
adult. An all too common mistake is to use the straight branches to skewer a hot
dog for roasting over an open fire. Fortunately, composting seems to break down the
toxins, so that is a feasible means of removal.
Alan Walker, Lake Charles, LA, USA
http://LCBSBonsai.org http://bonsai-bci.com
================================
Jim Lewis wrote:
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. Aside from their total toxicity (roots,
stems, leaves, flowers and seeds), does anyone know of oleander
as a bonsai? This one is 4 feet tall and wide, and quite rugged
looking, and was planted in the 50s. We'll be there next weekend....

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.
It is amazing how many tropicals can make you ill!
Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

I also have a dwarf oleander, growing in the wrong spot, though not as big
as Jim Lewis'. By chance I wondered if it would be suited to bonsai, on the
day he posted his message here. My one worry is that the leaves won't reduce
sufficiently, but otherwise: why not try? They strike very easily, so the
roots shouldn't be a problem. Their branches tend indeed to grow long and
straight if left unpruned, but pruning just above a leaf node promptly
results in new branching. They are sappy things, so I wouldn't wire them.
They seem to need more water than the full size ones do.

My kids grew up in a garden with oleanders used as a windbreak. They were
told never ever to touch them, plus the reason why. They obeyed, probably
for the one and only time in their childhood. What is even stranger is that
they didn't kill _me_ with a couple of leaves chopped through my salad.

Lisa

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!)

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++