Personally, I love my oleanders. I don't have horses, I don't have children that gnaw on shrubbery, so I don't have a problem. ;-)

Bob, don't come to Florida cause you'll surely have a brain embolism and/or heart attack. It is every where and there are a lot of plants that are equally as dangerous/toxic. Most gardeners are very aware of the potential and I do say potential dangers of these plants and this is not the forum or place to encourge the "destroying" of anything.

Nuff said. Now does anyone have any oleander to trade me?

Many, MANY ornamental plants we grow are toxic. Daffodils, lily of the valley, foxglove---even the stems and leaves of the beloved tomato!

If we destroyed every plant that had the potential to cause harm, we'd also destroy the ecosystem and we'd ALL be dead soon.

I am not going to tell anyone else what to grow or not to grow on their own property, but I worry about comparing oleander to stems and leaves of tomatoes. Oleander really may be more dangerous than most of the garden plants we think of as poisonous.

There was a news story a while back about a boy who died after eating a hot dog that he had roasted over a campfire by sticking it on the end of a branch of oleander. Even if he knew oleander was toxic he probably did not recognize it as a dry stick.

Since I hadn't read this story my self I just checked it out and oops...an urban legend. So even though oleander is very poisonous you probably really do have to eat it to get the full effect!

I was told the very same thing about angel trumpets but the gopher in my backyard got very big and fat eating it although my rubber tree made my dog very sick. I think we need to grow plants responsibly if we are going to grow them no matter what the plant.

There was a news story a while back about a boy who died after eating a hot dog that he had roasted over a campfire by sticking it on the end of a branch of oleander.

Please check out Snopes at the link below.

It seems this post might have been a good one for The Hot Topics Forum

Here is a link that might be useful: Per snopes-Wiener Roast

Some people and animals are extremely allergic to certain "poisons". Just take peanuts, for example. Because a tiny group of intellectual elitist think they know more about taking care of us than we do about taking care of ourselves, we no longer serve peanut products in schools or on airplanes. This deprives the vast majority of people who can enjoy peanuts from doing so. I'll continue to enjoy my oleanders, thank you.

Personally, i think oleander is a beautiful plant when blooming.... but a lot of people are not aware of the dangers of some plants... I know that I am not... but this one I am... IF, your wife says "honey, did you send in your life insurance premium yet" and you say yes i did that last week.. and she offers you a cup of hot tea... I wouldnt drink it.. Oleander makes good tea... and you will wake up dead... LOL have a good evening.. Bob in Oklahoma

Love the sense of humor Bob!