Oleander

Nerium oleander

Apocynaceae

A freeway-median flower whose leaves can stop a heart — including as a 'tea' in folklore that should have died.

Ubiquitous landscaping shrub in warm climates. Every part is cardiotoxic. Smoke from burning prunings has poisoned people.

Parts used: None for self-care.
Traditional notes: None that remain defensible
Grow · USDA 6b: Evergreen shrub, USDA 8–11 If it is already in the yard, teach the household. Gloves for pruning. Do not compost into a vegetable bed carelessly. In work: May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
Harvest: Do not harvest for medicine.

Bag prunings. Do not burn them in a firepit.
Teach the household: pretty, never chew.
Do not compost casually into a vegetable bed.

Safety

All internal or smoked use

Lookalikes

Bay laurel — A Mediterranean shrub sold next to culinary bay. One leaf in a stew has killed. Nerium is not Laurus.

Lore

The freeway shrub of the warm world, and one of the most planted deadly ornamentals. A single leaf has killed. It does not belong in a tea, a stick for a marshmallow, or a vase on a low table.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.