Hello fellow master gardeners. This is my debut blog for Under the Solano Sun, and I hope to write about common plants we may have or get asked about as Master Gardeners. I plan to include plant lore which may be associated with these plants since we often get questions about this and it may be helpful to have that background.

This season, Oleanders (Nerium oleander) are in full bloom all over California. They thrive in our Mediterranean climate and may be seen along roadsides or in highway medians, where there are estimated to be 25 million planted. This beautiful summer bloomer has two big issues: 1. Once established, it can be a vigorous grower, often reaching 20 feet and outgrowing many small landscaping areas, and 2. All parts of the plant are very poisonous to humans and most pets. And yet, it is so beautiful that Oleander is one of the most poisonous commonly grown garden plants.

There are a few new “dwarf” varieties now available, which only grow 3-4 feet. If you grow these instead of the standard varieties, you will have much less pruning to do. Some of these include varieties called ‘Petite Salmon', ‘Petite Pink,' and ‘Algiers'. If you are determined to corral your larger varieties with shears, 1. wear gloves, 2. don't use the cuttings or fallen leaf litter in your compost bins; pack it in plastic bags and put in your yard trash bin, 3. clean your tools well after the pruning, and 4. Don't forget to wear gloves.

Here is some interesting information about Oleanders:

- There are diseases and bugs that can plaque this bush. In fact, larvae of the common crow butterfly and oleander hawk moth feed on these, retain or modify the toxins making them unpalatable to potential predators. Many articles (149) related to Oleander pests are available in the UCANR Repository, that can provide helpful information.

- Myths tell of entire sports teams or church groups, etc, who all die from eating honey which had been made by bees that visited oleander bushes. This is false since oleander blooms do not have nectar which is needed to make honey.

- Oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima, having been the first to bloom following the atomic bombing of the city in 1945.

 https://ucanr.edu/repository/doclistX.cfm?search=oleander&searchOption=AW&viewOptions=&sortOption=&adOption=&filterOut=&submit=Search

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium