Plant Profile: Oleander

Oleander-Nerium oleander

All types of oleander are extremely toxic.  This is not an entheogenic herb, it is a very poisonous plant.  Do not ingest it under any circumstances.

Folk names: oleander describes and evergreen tree, rosebay, white oleander, rose of Jericho

Possible correspondences: Venus, Saturn, Water

Oleander or Nerium oleander was the first poisonous plant to stand out to me when I moved to Florida. If you live anywhere in the southern United States, from Los Angeles to Miami, you have probably seen oleander. It is a popular ornamental shrub that displays tons of beautiful flowers. It is an evergreen shrub so It never loses its leaves. You'll see it planted in parking lots, along sidewalks and in commercial landscaping.

Oleander was also the very first poisonous plant that caught my attention when I was a kid. It was when I was twelve or thirteen years old, and I read the book White Oleander by Janet Fitch. The main character's mother, Ingrid, an eccentric and witchy woman is sentenced to life in prison for poisoning her boyfriend with white oleander. In retrospect this was when I began to connect with more complex themes in association with poisonous plants. It wouldn't be until many years later that I began using them in magic.

Nerium oleander is the only species in the Nerium genus. It is a member of the Apocynaceae or Dog bane family. Oleander grows in temperate and sub-tropical areas. It prefers average to medium moisture, and is an indicator of nearby water. It thrives in full to partial sun. It is native to the Mediterranean, growing along dry stream beds. Oleander is able to tap deep into the ground to find water. The leaves are lanceolate. The flowers can be pink, white, purple, red and coral. They have five petals and grow in clusters. Oleander may be propagated from cuttings late in the summer.

The entire plant is extremely toxic. In some cases as little as one leaf was enough to kill and adult. The poisonous components can be found in all of the aerial parts.

You can find out more about Nerium oleander and other poisonous plants on my Patreon. Click HERE for access to all of my existing content!

Oleander Flower Essence:

·         Flower essences are vibrational remedies and do not contain any dangerous components, making them a safe way to experience the energy of poisonous plants.

·         Oleander flowers have five petals.  These are important plants that transmit powerful energy and facilitate healing on many levels.

·         Connect with feminine energy, sense of beauty, empowerment, strength and womanhood

·         Recovering from trauma, especially related to toxic masculinity

·         Trusting and seeing the beauty in oneself

·         Tapping into the subconscious/collective unconscious

·         Finding your way through the dark

·         Seeing the truth

Nerium Oleander - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Antidotes for acute cardenolide (cardiac glycoside) poisoning - PubMed (nih.gov)

International Oleander Society oleander.org