Not for nothing. This approximately 6m tall mediterranean shrub with its bright pink, red or white flowers, often seen on the outskirts of town, decorating rural roads or used as screening vegetation on our national roads are of the most poisonous plants known to man.

I remember how as a child my grandmother once said as we were walking past a row of “selonse” as she called them, always gives her a headache just by smelling the fragrant flowers. From then on, we always spoke of the oleander as the “headache flower”.

Humanity has learned from the earliest times how dangerous the oleander can be. Some of Alexander the Great’s horses, for example, died from the leaves during his conquests in the Near East from Macedonia. Some of his soldiers were also poisoned. They made fire from the rosewood and cut slivers from it to roast their meat.

More than two thousand years later, however, we would only realize the great necessity (but unfortunately not always adding the deed to the word) to eradicate the selons rose root and branch. It is one of the few plants in which all ingredients are poisonous. Even if you chew just one leaf, you can end up in your grave.

Poisoning has already occurred when honey made from the flowers was eaten, and smoke from burning oleander wood was inhaled. And yes, even when old Tante Koba stirred her tea with a Salonse Rose twig, she got so drunk that she became a legend in one of our folk songs.

People poisoned by it develop the same symptoms as with an overdose of digoxin, a proven drug for heart failure. There is loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhoea, slow pulse and heart block. It can be treated with a certain antidote.

But let’s have a closer look …
Common Name: Selonse Rose / Oleander
Scientific Name: Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae)
Alternative common names: Ceylon rose; dog-bane; double oleander; rose bay; rose laurel; South Sea rose (English), selonsroos (Afrikaans)

Description:
An evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 6m high with dark, dull-green leaves that are paler below and have distinctive veins and a prominent midrib. Pink, red or white flowers which are slightly aromatic, with a single row of petals, appear from September to March.

It bears reddish-brown fruit follicles which are finger-like and 10-20cm long. They are ridged and split longitudinally into two halves with seeds that have tufts of hairs. The whole plant is highly toxic and lethal and the sap is a skin irritant.

Where does this species come from? Mediterranean

What is its invasive status in South Africa? Existing legislation: CARA 2002 – Category 1 NEMBA – Category 1b

Where in South Africa is it a problem? Eastern and Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

How does it spread? Seed dispersal.

Why is it a problem? Competes with indigenous species. All parts of the plant are highly toxic and lethal to humans, birds and other animals.

What does it look like?

General description: An evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 6m high.
Leaves: Dark, dull-green elongated leaves that are paler below with distinctive veins and a prominent midrib.
Flowers: Pink, red or white flowers that are slightly aromatic with a single row of petals appearing from September to March.
Fruit/seeds: Bears reddish-brown fruit follicles which are finger-like and 10-20cm long.

Does the plant have any uses?
Ornament and screening.
Oleander (Nerium oleander) is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is prized by home gardeners for its showy, funnel-shaped blooms. Oleander is part of the Apocynaceae or dogbane family. Oleanders are fast-growing and easy to care for, which makes them an appealing landscape plant. However, all parts of this plant are highly toxic and in some locations are considered invasive.

Plant Description
Oleander plants are durable shrubs or trees that contain a gummy, clear sap. The leathery lance-shaped foliage is deep green and may be arranged opposite along the stems or in whorls. Oleander’s funnel-shaped flowers bloom in clusters at the twig tips from summer to fall and come in shades of white, pink, red, or yellow. The flowers are often abundant, and some oleander varieties give off a pleasant fragrance. Oleanders typically grow to between 6 and 12 feet tall, with a spread of the same width, but some may be trained to grow into small trees that reach up to 20 feet tall.

Oleander poisoning
Poisonous ingredients include:
Digitoxigenin, Neriin,Oleandrin, Oleondroside
Note: This list may not include all poisonous ingredients.
Where Found: The poisonous substances are found in all parts of the Oleander plant:

• Flowers
• Leaves
• Stems
• Twigs

Symptoms
Oleander poisoning can affect many parts of the body.

Heart And Blood
Irregular or slow heartbeat, Low blood pressure, Weakness

Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, And Throat
Blurred vision,Vision disturbances, including halos around objects

Stomach And Intestines
Diarrhea, Loss of appetite, Nausea and vomiting, Stomach pain

Nervous System
Confusion, Death, Depression, Disorientation, Dizziness, Drowsiness, Fainting, Headache, Lethargy

Skin
Hives, Rash

Note: Depression, loss of appetite, and halos are most often seen in chronic overdose cases.

Home Care
Seek immediate medical help. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider.

Before calling emergency get the following information:

• Person’s age, weight, and condition
• Name and part of the plant swallowed if known
• Time it was swallowed
• Amount swallowed

Poison Control
If you are experiencing symptoms of Oleander poisoning you should immediately contact your doctor or visit an emergency room closest to you. You can also call the Poison Control Information Helpline can be reached directly by calling the Poisons information 24 Helpline 0861 555 777 They will give you further instructions.

• The service provides:
• Help with poisonings caused by unidentified toxins
• Advice on managing poisoning by identified substances including:
• Pharmaceuticals
• Chemical substances
• Pesticides
• Household products
• Plants and animals

What to Expect in the Emergency Room

• The provider will measure and monitor the person’s vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The person may receive:
• Activated charcoal
• Blood and urine tests
• Breathing support, including oxygen through a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator)
• Chest x-ray
• ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing)
• Fluids through a vein (IV)
• Medicines to treat symptoms including an antidote to reverse the effects of the poison
• Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)

Outlook (Prognosis)
How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.

Symptoms last for 1 to 3 days and may require a hospital stay. Death is unlikely.

DO NOT touch or eat any plant with which you are not familiar. Wash your hands after working in the garden or walking in the woods.

POISONOUS PLANTS AND YOUR PETS

A CHILD will still spit out a berry that tastes bad, but your dog might think nothing of adding to a tree full of bitter, poisonous berries.

If old Wagter has eaten a poisonous plant, and needs to go to the vet immediately, you must also take the remaining part of the plant with you so that the vet can see what he needs to treat your dog for.

According to one report, there are over a hundred indoor and garden plants that are poisonous to our pets. These toxins affect the kidneys and cardio-vascular system or lead to depression and unusual behavior patterns. You can usually tell immediately from an animal that it has eaten something poisonous.

Visible symptoms often caused by certain plants are nausea, tremors, rashes, a sore tongue and lips and a swollen mouth, weakness, heavy breathing and diarrhoea.

Plants that cause nausea are azaleas, bird of paradise, elephant ears, spider flower, ivy and foxgloves.

Plants that cause swelling of the mouth, a painful tongue or sore lips are ivy and philodendron.

Plants that produce a rash are poinsettias and, believe it, chrysanthemums.

One can almost wonder if you can still dare to let your own dog roam freely in your own garden!