With its lush gullible foliage and colourful flower oleander is a popular landscaping shrub in warm climates . However , all parts of this plant are highly toxic if ingested . Many homeowners seek dependable alternatives that cheer the oleander aesthetic without the risk . gratefully several native flora can supply a exchangeable look minus the toxicity .
Why Seek Oleander Alternatives?
Oleander ( Nerium oleander ) contains cardiac glycoside that can cause serious sickness or even death if eaten . darling and children are peculiarly vulnerable . While lovely , oleanders put an unacceptable risk for many gardener . Their overexploitation in landscaping also make uninspired , repetitive designs .
Downsides like susceptibility to disease and minimum wildlife habitat time value further the case for using substitute plant life . Abundant alternatives mimic oleander ’s plush verdure and graceful form without these drawback .
7 Great Oleander Lookalikes
Here are top picks for stunning industrial plant that mirror oleanders visually but are secure and more ecologically beneficial
1. Hop Bush (Dodonaea viscosa)
This aboriginal desert shrub thrives in red-hot , arid climates . Its glossy green foliage supply a similar grain and compactness to Nerium oleander . grow 10 - 15 human foot tall , hop bush works well for hedge , filmdom and accents . Clusters of papery capsules produce visual interest .
2. Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica)
Also called Sonoran rosewood this great native bush has elegant ellipse leaf reminiscent of oleander . Abundant white blooms supply spring color . Arizona rosewood reaches elevation over 15 feet tolerates drought and attracts dame with its berry - like yield .
3. Quailbush (Atriplex lentiformis)
Quailbush is an evergreen native shrub with rich green leave-taking and a mature height up to 10 feet . It fills a exchangeable recess to Nerium oleander as a hedging or screen plant . Quailbush ask little water once instal and provides home ground for birds and wildlife .
4. Desert Hackberry (Celtis pallida)
Desert nettle tree is a native , drought - tolerant bush reaching 10 feet tall at due date . It has an oleander - esque leaf Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and branching body structure . This plant influence well for seclusion and wraith . Wildlife squander its small edible Berry .
5. Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Though not a true shrub , jojoba ’s Olea europaea - shaped leaves resemble oleander foliage . It grow 6 - 15 feet tall in dry conditions . Deer - resistant and carefree , jojoba is best suited to raw desert gardens . Cold hardy and long - experience , its oil - rich seeds have commercial the States .
6. Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)
Texas forest fire fighter is an attractive native shrub that thrives in heat and need little watering . Growing 5 - 8 foot tall , its slim silver - gray foliage offer unique texture contrast . Prolific purple blooms tote up seasonal color . Leaf and flower form mimic oleander on a modest scale .
7. Creosote (Larrea tridentata)
Creosote is iconic to the Sonoran desert where rose bay also grow . This ubiquitous native evergreen shrub has drab green pitchy leaf and chicken blossom . It fan out via extensive root ringer to form thickets , playing a use standardized to oleander hedges .
Cultivation Tips
Most oleander alternative share preferences for full Sunday photo , in force drainage and minimal watering once established . Pruning , shearing and coppicing helps maintain desired shapes and sizes . Give them quad to touch mature dimensions or keep strictly trimmed .
Seek out disease - resistant multifariousness where available . Boost soil nutrition and constituent matter at planting fourth dimension . Avoid overwatering , but supply supplementary irrigation during prolonged droughts . internet site selection matching raw home ground preferences aids health and vigor .
Safety First
When prefer for oleander lookalikes , delay toxicity degree carefully , especially if youthful children or pets may enter the plant . While dependable than oleander ’s utmost peril , sure species like hop bush possess mild toxins . Also mark thorns , spur or skin irritant before planting .
Natural, Low-Risk Beauty
you’re able to craft sensational landscapes using oleander alternatives that echo their visual appeal yet avoid their financial obligation . Mimicking oleander ’s cast and social occasion safely expands intent options . Replicating their lush light-green ringing is potential without the toxicity . research oleander - esque native plant benefit masses , deary and the local environmental science too .
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PlantArizona rosewood(Vauquelinia californica ) , not Nerium oleander ( Nerium oleander ) for a enceinte blossoming evergreen plant shrub . As you probably already know , Nerium oleander is super toxic — every part of the plant containsdeadly glycosideswhich feign the cardiovascular and respiratory systems . Even dried plant components remain toxic and can not be added to compost or burned ( the smoke is toxic ) . A unmarried leaf can be deadly to a small child , and it take very scummy doses for creature such as horses , pawl and cats to be poisoned .
Besides the potential harm to domesticated animals and the great unwashed , the plant is terrible for pollinators — its gaudy efflorescence attract them but the plant life offers no ambrosia to repay them for their hard work . It also has invasive potential , and has beenlisted by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Serviceon their “ Priority Noxious and Invasive Plant ” tilt .
Arizona rosewood tree is a great native alternative . It has a leaf chassis very similar to oleander , and get to a similar sizing . Its beautiful creamy white flower are great for pollinator . It ’s a great viewing hedge . It uses less water than oleander , can be trained and pruned , and is completely non - toxic . It grows lento at first , but you may belt along up its growth by watering it more often once it ’s set up .
plant life nativevelvet mesquite(Prosopis velutina ) , not Chilean mesquit ( Prosopis chilensis ) for a tall shade tree . The Chilean mesquit ’s primary selling point in time is the lack of thorn , but it hasa numeral of drawback . For one thing , it has a shallower solution organisation which name it more potential to damage nearby construction like wall , driveways and sidewalks . It also get the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree more likely to blow down in heavy storm . Chilean mesquites also require regular watering , while our native mesquites , once established , will do very well without any superfluous water . The velvety mesquite is one of the taller native mesquites , raise up to 50 feet tall . It is also an excellent habitat tree diagram for a figure of aboriginal and visiting doll . Because it lose its leaves for part of the wintertime , it can be planted in areas where you welcome winter sunlight but desire summer tone .
PlantGoodings verbena(Glandularia goodingii ) , not purple lantana ( Lantana montevidensis ) for a low - growing ground cover . Goodings vervain depend very similar to purple lantana , both in form and in vividness and in flower type . Its native to the Mojave and Sonoran comeupance . It is short - lived , but will reseed in your garden . Goodings vervain is very versatile , doing well in anything from full Dominicus to part shade . It ’s hardy to 0 F and is drought - tolerant . Pollinators , especially butterfly , love it , and it is a larval food for some moth and butterflies .
While the lantana provides ambrosia , it does not provide any larval food for butterfly stroke . Also , other types of lantana have been shown to spread quickly and do a lot of scathe to a bunch of places . Lantana camara has spread out to many climate and is threatening important ecosystem in India ( include significant habitat for tigers ) , Australia , Hawaii , California , and some component of Texas . I have notice that L. camara is also invasive in my yard .
flora desert willow tree ( genus Chilopsis linearis ) instead of chaste tree ( Vitex agnus - castus ) for a flowering deciduous tree diagram . There are times when the chaste tree develop as a Mary Jane in the wild , especially in washes , even though it look beautiful . An equally beautiful aboriginal tree is the desert willow . It has tropical - looking garden pink to colored imperial flower . It is winter deciduous , like the chaste Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , so both create about the same amount of bedding . Because it develop well in our area , the desert willow tree does n’t need much care or lacrimation once it ’s plant . It ’s also a great tree diagram for hoot , butterfly , and other pollinators .
Plantbull grass(Muhlenbergia emersleyi ) not fountain pot ( Penisetum spp . ) for a showy , magniloquent grass . outflow grass is exceedingly invasive in our desert riparian surface area , and puts our saguaro cacti at risk for high - temperature fires ( like the 1 last year thatkilled thousands of saguaros ) . Unfortunately , it is still sell as an cosmetic grass by nursery who claim it is “ infertile . ” The National Park Service country thateven so - called infertile varieties can become bad-tempered - pollinated by related to species and spread well in our mood . Bull green goddess is native to our area and hasbeautiful , tall showy feathery stems . It also provides larval food for a bit of native butterflies . It can tolerate our climate and soils well and is exceedingly stalwart .
PlantMexican fan palm(Washingtonia robusta ) or aCalifornia fan palm(Washingtonia filifera ) instead of day of the month palms ( Phoenix spp . ) for a marvellous laurel wreath tree . The Washingtonia palms are native to our area and adapted to our desert climate . They ask less urine , less trim , and no limited fertilisation . They are hardy to 18 - 20 F. For more information , check out this greathandout on thenar treesfrom the University of Arizona ’s extension billet .
Plant theArizona cypress(Hesperocyparis arizonica , Cupressus arizonica ) or else of Mediterranean coniferssuch as Italian pine , Italian cypress tree , and others . Arizona cypress tree , once common in elevations 3,000 - 6,000 foot , have plummet in number due to drought , clime variety , and bark beetle infestation . In a pull off landscape , thethreat of bark beetles can be minimizedby steady watering . Keep in mind that all of these factors , include barque mallet , threaten non - native conifers in our domain as well , so you should probably believe carefully before embed any conifer . If you unquestionably want one in your chiliad , choose the aboriginal choice , as it will be best adapted to our status and will supply home ground for wildlife .
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Have any gardening thought you ’d like the Tucson Garden Guide to hatch ? Email me at dheusinkveld@tucson com with your suggestion and question . Thanks for reading ! .
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Oleander Standards for the Front Entryway: Beautiful and Toxic!
FAQ
Is there a plant life that look like rose bay ?
What is a good option to Nerium oleander ?
Are oleander flowers venomous to touch ?
Are there non - toxicant rose bay ?
Which oleander bush turn best ?
When necessitate for another choice for the large , tall forms of oleander , I recommend Hop Bush ( Dodonaea viscosa ) , also make love as Hopseed Bush . seize my FREE guide for Fuss - Free Plants that thrive in a hot , dry clime ! This aboriginal desert shrub has attractive , evergreen foliation and a similar growth habit to oleander .
What do oleanders look like ?
Oleanders look something like Olea europaea trees with flush . They can grow from 3 to 20 human foot ( 1 - 6 m. ) magniloquent and from 3 to 10 foot ( 1 - 3 m. ) wide . The blossoms are fragrant and unlike kinds of oleander plants bring about different color flowers .
What is a good alternative to planting Nerium oleander ?
Arizona rosewood is a good option to plant Nerium oleander . It has a similar leaf shape and grows to a similar size . Its beautiful creamy blanched flowers are swell for pollinators . It is a slap-up screening hedging . Arizona rosewood tree uses less urine than Nerium oleander , can be trained and trim , and is completely non - toxic .
Are oleander trees evergreen ?
A widely used landscape painting plant in warmer climates , oleander is grown for its carefree wont and attractive virtuoso - shape flowers that blossom nearly year - pear-shaped . Because of its beauty and problematical nature , this evergreen shrub is commonly seen along main road median value and in public landscapes in places like California , Florida , and Texas .
