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Nerium oleander

Also known as oleander, sweet-scented oleander

Nerium oleander ( ), commonly known as oleander, rose laurel, be-still tree or rosebay, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium, belonging to subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has been identified, though it is usually associated with the Mediterranean Basin.

OverviewAI-generated

Nerium oleander, commonly known as oleander, is a species of evergreen plant in the family Apocynaceae. It belongs to the genus Nerium and is classified within the order Gentianales, class Magnoliopsida, and phylum Tracheophyta. The species was described by Linnaeus and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

The plant produces follicles and has uses including fiber, wood, and as a medicinal plant. Its native range includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Gulf States, India, and Iran. It is also found in China, specifically in Shanghai, the Tibet Autonomous Region, and Guangdong. Records indicate its presence in the United States and Mexico, with institutions such as the University of Alberta Museums and CICY holding specimens.

Synthesized by Vinony from 49 facts across 9 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Encyclopedia of Life, IUCN Red List, Gbif Occ, Plants of the World, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

oleander

Nerium oleander

SPECIES

KingdomPlantae
PhylumTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderGentianales
FamilyApocynaceae

Native toAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Gulf States, India, Iran

Observations recorded113,469

Cultivado.

via GBIF · IUCN · Kew POWO

Museum specimens

Specimen records: 3,706
With media: 2,502
Family: Apocynaceae
Collections: UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA MUSEUMS, CICY, UNICACH, ENCB-IPN, UACH, CIHS-UAC
Recorded in: United States, Mexico

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Wikidata facts

Instance of: taxon
Parent taxon: Nerium
Image: Dettaglio - Apocinaceae Nerium oleander Lin. Erbario Frizzi Perugia n. 270.jpg
Has use: medicinal plant

Show 13 more facts

taxon rank: species
taxon name: Nerium oleander
Commons category: Nerium oleander
IUCN conservation status: Least Concern
GRIN URL: npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=25229
Commons gallery: Nerium oleander
has fruit type: follicle
taxon common name: алеандар
taxon range: Gabon
foliage type: evergreen plant
short name: N. oleander
taxon author citation: L.
external data available at URL: www.gbif.org/dataset/31dc1507-a6e1-4233-a8df-c7a78596a7e4

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~28 min read

Encyclopedic overview

25 sections

Contents

Description
Taxonomy
Synonymy
Etymology
Distribution and habitat
Ecology
Leaf scorch
Cultivation
History
Ornamental gardening
Colors and varieties
Toxicity
Effects of poisoning
Treatment
Research
Culture
Oracle of Delphi
Folklore
In painting
In literature, film and music
Gallery
See also
Notes
References
External links

Nerium grows to tall. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form, but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk. It is tolerant to both drought and inundation, but not to prolonged frost. White, pink or red five-lobed flowers grow in clusters year-round, peaking during the summer. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Nerium oleander” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.