On 5/10/13 5:26 PM, Norminn wrote:
Forgot the link: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/MG34800.pdf

You do know that oleanders are poisonous?


All reports that I have seen regarding oleander poisoning involved
ingesting. That is not limited to merely eating the leaves and flowers.
It includes people who vandalize oleanders in public parks to use the
thin but stiff long branches as skewers for barbecuing hot dogs and
roasting marshmallows. While such poisonings do occur, death is
extremely rare since oleanders are quite bitter and thus discourage
anyone from consuming a fatal dose.

A notorious homicide trial in southern California many years ago
involved a mortician who was accused of killing a business rival by
serving him oleander soup. Supposedly, the meal involved a
reconciliation. I guess the soup had sufficient seasonings to mask the
bitterness of the oleander. The accused was found "not guilty".

Oleanders are still planted in public parks and around schools because
they are so durable and the risk of poisoning is so minimal. At least,
they were planted until blight started killing them.

I must point out that many plants used for food are poisonous.

* A leaf from a peach tree can kill a small child. The kernel inside
the pit can kill an adult. Both contain cyanide.

* Leaves from rhubarb are toxic. But the leaf ribs are okay if
properly cooked.

* The raw source of tapioca (cassava root) is very poisonous. Natives
in South America put the juice in streams and ponds to kill fish, which
they then gather and eat.

* Natal plum (a close relative of oleander) is toxic except for the
ripe fruit.

* Apple and pear seeds are poisonous. Swallowed whole, they are okay;
but chewed, they can make you ill.

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