Betty Kern: My Second Most Favorite Plant

by Betty Kern
from The Punch, May/June '06

So..... our President/Editor/Columnist, Sam Poché, suffering a lapse in creativity, suggested that I write this column again. My second most favorite plant is the oleander, not so much because of its beauty, but because it evokes such happy memories of my childhood. My hometown, Galveston, Texas, is known as the "City of Oleanders." The neutral grounds are filled with colorful flowers -- some pruned into dense bushes, others into trees rising as high as 20 feet. As a child, the elongated leaves were imaginary boats which we pushed out to sea from our safe positions on the curbs following rain storms. The blossoms, single or double, in a multitude of colors, have a hole in the bottom which was perfect for stringing into leis or wreaths for our hair. As we grew older, the extremely poisonous juice was rubbed into initials scratched into our legs, proclaiming our undying love for one of our jr. high heroes! The scratches, juice and a couple of hours in the sun on the beach made a semi-permanent "tattoo." DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME

Mercifully, the dye faded, just as the 'romance' did.

This fast growing plant bears clusters of flowers, single or double, in white, pink, purplish, red and salmon. It comes in regular and miniature varieties, both poisonous. It grows in ordinary, moist soil in full sun and is tolerant of wind, sea spray, city conditions and other adverse conditions. It can readily be pruned in the spring and may be cut down nearly to the ground and will soon sprout back. It is hardy in the Deep South. Even without the special memories recounted above, I recommend the oleander as a colorful, easy to grow plant --just don't drink the juice!