Planning Coastal Plants.docx

RESEARCH PAPER IN PLANNING 1

SUBMITTED TO: AR. MA. EMELYN VICENCIO

SUBMITTED BY: LOMOCSO, GERALD B. PETATE, JOMAR BETITA, ARVEL DE JESUS, KARL DAVID MILLAMENA, LEORNADO

Coastal Plants Common Name (Scientific Name) Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin for "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea". The plant is also sometimes called Anthos, from the ancient Greek word ἄνθος, meaning "flower". Rosemary has a fibrous root system. Taxonomy Rosmarinus officinalis is one of 2–4 species in the genus Rosmarinus. The other species most often recognized is the closely related, Rosmarinus eriocalyx, of the Maghreb of Africa and Iberia. The name of ros marinus is the plant's ancient name in classical Latin. Elizabeth Kent noted in her Flora Domestica (1823), "The botanical name of this plant is compounded of two Latin words, signifying Sea-dew; and indeed Rosemary thrives best by the sea." The name of the genus was applied by the 18th-century naturalist and founding taxonomist Carl Linnaeus. Description Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen shrub with leaves similar to hemlock needles. It is native to the Mediterranean and Asia but is reasonably hardy in cool climates. It can withstand droughts, surviving a severe lack of water for lengthy periods. Forms range from upright to trailing; the upright forms can reach 1.5 m (5 ft) tall, rarely 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The leaves are evergreen, 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long and 2–5 mm broad, green above, and white below, with dense, short, woolly hair. The plant flowers in spring and summer in temperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple or deep blue. Rosemary also has a tendency to flower outside its normal flowering season; it has been known to flower as late as early December, and as early as mid-February (in the northern hemisphere). In some parts of the world, it is considered an invasive species. Usage Upon cultivation, the leaves, twigs, and flowering apices are extracted for use. Rosemary is used as a decorative plant in gardens where it may have pest control effects. The leaves are used to flavor various foods, such as stuffingand roast meats. Cultivation Since it is attractive and drought-tolerant, rosemary is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and for xeriscape landscaping, especially in regions of Mediterranean climate. It is considered easy to grow and pest-resistant. Rosemary can grow quite large and retain attractiveness for

many years, can be pruned into formal shapes and low hedges, and has been used for topiary. It is easily grown in pots. The groundcover cultivars spread widely, with a dense and durable texture. Rosemary grows on loam soil with good drainage in an open, sunny position. It will not withstand waterlogging and some varieties are susceptible to frost. It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions (pH 7–7.8) with average fertility. It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot (from a soft new growth) 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Culinary Use Rosemary leaves are used as a flavoring in foods, such as stuffing and roast lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey. Fresh or dried leaves are used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine. They have a bitter, astringent taste and a characteristic aroma which complements many cooked foods. Herbal tea can be made from the leaves. When roasted with meats or vegetables, the leaves impart a mustard-like aroma with an additional fragrance of charred wood that goes well with barbecued foods. In amounts typically used to flavor foods, such as one teaspoon (1 gram), rosemary provides no nutritional value Rosemary extract has been shown to improve the shelf life and heat stability of omega 3-rich oils which are prone to rancidity.

Fragrance Rosemary oil is used for purposes of fragrant bodily perfumes or to emit an aroma into a room. It is also burnt as incense and used in shampoos and cleaning products.

How to Plant Rosemary? Rosemary is ideal for a rock garden or the top of a dry wall. It is often used for seasoning poultry, lamb, stews, and soups. For a head start, plant the seeds or cuttings indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. Plant the seeds/cuttings in well-drained soil. For best growth, the soil should be around 70ºF. Be sure to give your plants enough room to grow. Rosemary grows to about 4 feet tall and spreads about 4 feet as well. In the garden, plant near beans, cabbage, carrots, and sage.

Care/ Maintenance After the rosemary plant flowers, remember to trim the plant. For fresh rosemary in the winter, grow the plant indoors in a pot. Be sure to put it in bright light and cool temperatures. Prune regularly so that the plant won’t get lanky. Water the plants evenly throughout the growing season. Be sure to get cuttings or divide the plant for next season.

Pests/ Diseases Aerial Blight Bacterial leaf spots Several types of root rot

Harvest/ Storage Prune the stems to use fresh. During the winter, bring rosemary plants inside. Harvest young stems and leaves for the freshest taste. Harvest up to a third of the rosemary at any one time, allowing the plant to replace its growth before taking more. You can dry the leaves as well and store in an airtight container.

Climate

Preferred Scientific Name  Rosmarinus officinalis L. Preferred Common Name 

rosemary

Common Name (Scientific Name) Sea Breeze Fleabane (Erigeron glaucus) Selected from a native wildflower, this plant is a terrific choice for seaside locations, coping with poor dry soil and salty spray. If forms a low mound of grey-green leaves that remain evergreen. Small yellow-eyed bright mauve-pink daisies appear during late spring and sometimes again in the autumn. Performs well in average rock garden conditions with good drainage. Does particularly well in the Pacific Northwest and down into California. Drought tolerant once established. Said to be deer resistant. USPP#12076: unlicensed propagation prohibited.

Plant Description An extremely free-blooming plant with a tight, uniform habit that is perfect for rock gardens and for edging pathways. Lavender-pink blooms contrast nicely against the grey-green foliage and provide nearly continuous color from late spring to fall, with an occasional pause during midsummer heat. Evergreen in mild winter areas.

STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown. DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful. EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance. STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground. HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper. SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level. HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified. FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem. GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.

Sea Lavender (Limonium latifolium)

one of the best perennials for using as a cut flower, especially for drying. This forms a low mound of large, leathery green leaves, bearing upright branching heads of tiny, pale-blue flowers, giving a misty, cloud-like effect. Plants will produce a number of stems, and the overall effect is billowing and delicate. Very tolerant of hot, dry sites once established. Dislikes being moved or divided. Flowers are attractive to butterflies. To dry, stems should be cut just as the flowers begin to open, and hung upside down in a warm, dark place.

Sea lavender is a rosette-forming perennial with mid- to dark-green leaves to 12 inches long, occasionally to 24 inches. Deep lavender-blue flowers are borne in panicles made of spikelets on wiry stems. Noteworthy CharacteristicsGrows well in salty, windy, and sandy conditions. Useful in a sunny herbaceous border and for naturalizing. Flowers are good for cutting and drying. CarePrefers sandy, well-drained soil and full sun.

Description: Hardy, summerblooming, herbaceous perennial— Fine panicles of tiny, lavender-blue flowers are borne in profusion above a basal rosette of wide, dark green leaves Habit: Grows up to 2.5 feet high and 1.5 feet wide when in flower; clumpforming; deep-rooted Culture: Prefers full sun and welldrained to dry, sandy soils; droughttolerant; do not move once established Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 4 Origin: Romania — Bulgaria — Southern Russia

White Angel Plant (Wringhtia antidysenterica)

Description: Wrightia antidysenterica, called the Coral Swirl, Snowflake, Milky Way, Winter Cherry Tree, Arctic Snow, is a flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. W. antidysenterica is sometimes mistaken to belong to a separate genus Holarrhena, as Holarrhena pubescens. It's been long known in Indian Ayurvedic tradition, and is called "kuţaja" in Sanskrit. It is also known as "White Angel" in the Philippines. Habitat: Backyard garden.

OLEANDER (NERIUM OLEANDER)

A TALL BUSH WITH LANCE-SHAPED LEAVES WHICH ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE IN FLOWER. THIS IS A CLOSE-UP OF ONE GROUP OF BLOOMS IN OUR GARDEN. Nerium oleander /ˈnɪəriəm ˈoʊliːændər/[3] is a shrub or small tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, toxic in all its parts. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium. It is most commonly known as nerium[4] or oleander, from its superficial resemblance to the unrelated olive Olea.[Note 1] It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has been identified, though southwest Asia has been suggested. The ancient city of Volubilis in Morocco may have taken its name from the Berber name alili or oualilt for the flower.[5] Oleander is one of the most poisonous commonly grown garden plants.

Etymology Etymology[edit] The origins of the taxonomic name Nerium oleander, first assigned by Linnaeus in 1753, are disputed.[6] The genus name Nerium is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek name for the plant Nerion (νήριον), which is in turn derived from the Greek for water, 'neros' (νηρός), because of the natural habitat of the oleander along rivers and streams.

The word Oleander appears as far back as the first century AD, when the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides cited it as one of the terms used by the Romans for the plant.[7] Merriam-Webster believes the word is a Medieval Latin corruption of Late Latin names for the plant: arodandrum or lorandrum, or more plausibly rhododendron (another Ancient Greek name for the plant), with the addition of Olea because of the superficial resemblance to the olive tree (Olea europea).[8][9] Another theory posited is that Oleander is the Latinized form of a Greek compound noun: 'οllyo' (ὀλλύω), which means 'I kill', and the Greek noun for man, 'aner', genitive 'andros' (ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός).[10] This is because of the Oleander's toxicity to humans. The etymological association of oleander with the bay laurel has continued into the modern day: in France the plant is known as "Laurier Rose",[11] while the Spanish term, "Adelfa", is the descendant of the original Ancient Greek name for both the bay laurel and the oleander, daphne, which subsequently passed into Arabic usage and thence to Spain.[12]

Description[edit]

Nerium oleander

Nerium Oleander(Red)

A seed follicles spreading seeds

Oleander grows to 2–6 m (6.6–19.7 ft) tall, with erect stems that splay outward as they mature; first-year stems have a glaucous bloom, while mature stems have a grayish bark. The leaves are in pairs or whorls of three, thick and leathery, dark-green, narrow lanceolate, 5–21 cm (2.0– 8.3 in) long and 1–3.5 cm (0.39–1.38 in) broad, and with an entire margin filled with minute reticulate venation web typical of eudicots. Leaves are light green and very glossy when young, before maturing to a dull dark green/greenish gray. The flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch; they are white, pink to red,[Note 2] 2.5–5 cm (0.98–1.97 in) diameter, with a deeply 5lobed fringed corolla round the central corolla tube. They are often, but not always, sweetscented.[Note 3] The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles 5–23 cm (2.0–9.1 in) long, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.

Habitat and range[edit]

Oleander shrub, Morocco

Oleander growing wild in a Libyan Wadi (river valley)

Nerium Oleanders, in Galveston. Yellow is unusual

Nerium oleander is either native or naturalized to a broad area from Mauritania, Morocco, and Portugal eastward through the Mediterranean region and the Sahara (where it is only found sporadically), to the Arabian peninsula, southern Asia, and as far east as Yunnan in southern parts of China.[13][14][15][16] It typically occurs around stream beds in river valleys, where it can alternatively tolerate long seasons of drought and inundation from winter rains. Nerium oleander is planted in many subtropical and tropical areas of the world. On the East Coast of the US, it grows as far north as Virginia Beach, Virginia, while in California and Texas miles of oleander shrubs are planted on median strips.[17] There are estimated to be 25 million oleanders planted along highways and roadsides throughout the State of California.[18] Because of its durability, oleander was planted prolifically on Galveston Island in Texas after the disastrous Hurricane of 1900. They are so prolific that Galveston is known as the 'Oleander City'; an annual oleander festival is hosted every spring.[19] Beyond the traditional Mediterranean and subtropical range of oleander, the plant can also be cultivated in mild oceanic climates with the appropriate precautions. It is grown without protection in southern England and can reach great sizes in London and to a lesser extent in Paris[20] due to the urban heat island effect.[21][22][23] This is also the case with North American cities in the Pacific Northwest like Portland,[24] Seattle, and Vancouver. Plants may suffer damage or die back in such marginal climates during severe winter cold, but will rebound from the roots.

Ecology[edit] Some invertebrates are known to be unaffected by oleander toxins, and feed on the plants. Caterpillars of the polka-dot wasp moth (Syntomeida epilais) feed specifically on oleanders and survive by eating only the pulp surrounding the leaf-veins, avoiding the fibers. Larvae of the common crow butterfly (Euploea core) and oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii) also feed on oleanders, and they retain or modify toxins, making them unpalatable to potential predators such as birds, but not to other invertebrates such as spiders and wasps.[citation needed] The flowers require insect visits to set seed, and seem to be pollinated through a deception mechanism. The showy corolla acts as a potent advertisement to attract pollinators from a distance, but the flowers are nectarless and offer no reward to their visitors. They therefore receive very few visits, as typical of many rewardless flower species.[25][26] Fears of honey contamination with toxic oleander nectar are therefore unsubstantiated.

Ornamental gardening[edit] Oleander is a vigorous grower in warm subtropical regions, where it is extensively used as an ornamental plant in parks, along roadsides and in private gardens. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form, but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk.[27] Hardy versions like white, red and pink oleander will tolerate occasional light frost down to −10 °C (14 °F),[16] though the leaves may be damaged. The toxicity of oleander renders it deer-resistant and its large size makes for a good windbreak – as such it is frequently planted as a hedge along property lines and in agricultural settings. The plant is tolerant of poor soils, intense heat, salt spray, and sustained drought – although it will flower and grow more vigorously with regular

water. Although it does not require pruning to thrive and bloom, oleander can become unruly with age and older branches tend to become gangly, with new growth emerging from the base. For this reason gardeners are advised to prune mature shrubs in the autumn to shape and induce lush new growth and flowering for the following spring.[28] Unless they wish to harvest the seeds, many gardeners choose to prune away the seedpods that form on spent flower clusters, which are a drain on energy.[28] In Mediterranean climates oleanders can be expected to bloom from April through October, with the heaviest bloom usually occurring between May and June. Free-flowering varieties like 'Petite Salmon' or 'Mont Blanc' require no period of rest and can flower continuously throughout the year if the weather remains warm. In cold winter climates, oleander is a popular summer potted plant readily available at most nurseries. They require frequent heavy watering and fertilizing as compared to being planted in the ground, but oleander is nonetheless an ideal flowering shrub for patios and other spaces with hot sunshine. During the winter they should be moved indoors, ideally into an unheated greenhouse or basement where they can be allowed to go dormant.[27] Once they are dormant they require little light and only occasional watering. Placing them in a space with central heating and poor air flow can make them susceptible to a wide variety of pests - aphids, mealybugs, Oleander scale, Whitefly and Spider mites.[29]

Colors and varieties[edit]

Peach color

Oleander flowers are showy, profuse, and often fragrant, which makes them very attractive in many contexts. Over 400 cultivars have been named, with several additional flower colors not found in wild plants having been selected, including yellow, peach and salmon. Many cultivars, like "Hawaii" or "Turner's Carnival", are multi-colored, with brilliant striped corollas.[30] The solid whites, reds and a variety of pinks are the most common. Double flowered cultivars like "Mrs Isadore Dyer" (deep pink), "Mathilde Ferrier" (yellow) or "Mont Blanc" (white) are enjoyed for their large, rose-like blooms and strong fragrance. There is also a variegated form, 'Variegata', featuring leaves striped in yellow and white.[28] Several dwarf cultivars have also been developed, offering a more compact form and size for small spaces. These include "Little Red", "Petite White", "Petite Pink" and "Petite Salmon", which grow to about 8 feet at maturity.[31]

Therapeutic efficacy Drugs derived from N. oleander have been investigated as a treatment for cancer, but have failed to demonstrate clinical utility.[32][33] According to the American Cancer Society, the trials conducted so far have produced no evidence of benefit, while they did cause adverse side effects.[34]

Toxicity Oleander has historically been considered a poisonous plant because some of its compounds may exhibit toxicity, especially to animals, when consumed in large amounts. Among these

compounds are oleandrin and oleandrigenin, known as cardiac glycosides, which are known to have a narrow therapeutic index and can be toxic when ingested. Toxicity studies of animals administered oleander extract concluded that rodents and birds were observed to be relatively insensitive to oleander cardiac glycosides.[35] Other mammals, however, such as dogs and humans, are relatively sensitive to the effects of cardiac glycosides and the clinical manifestations of "glycoside intoxication".[35][36][37] In reviewing oleander toxicity cases seen in-hospital, Lanford and Boor[38] concluded that, except for children who might be at greater risk, "the human mortality associated with oleander ingestion is generally very low, even in cases of moderate intentional consumption (suicide attempts)".[38] In 2000, a rare instance of death from oleander poisoning occurred when two toddlers adopted from a Siberian orphanage ate the leaves from a neighbor's shrub in El Segundo, California.[39] A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's office stated that it was the first instance of death connected to oleander in the county, and a toxicologist from the California Poison Control Center said it was the first instance of death he had seen recorded. Because oleander is extremely bitter, officials speculated that the toddlers had developed a condition caused from malnutrition, Pica, which causes people to eat otherwise inedible material.[40]

Effects of poisoning[edit]

Oleandrin, one of the toxins present in oleander

Ingestion of this plant can affect the gastrointestinal system, the heart, and the central nervous system. The gastrointestinal effects can consist of nausea and vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, diarrhea that may contain blood, and especially in horses, colic.[15] Cardiac reactions consist of irregular heart rate, sometimes characterized by a racing heart at first that then slows to below normal further along in the reaction. Extremities may become pale and cold due to poor or irregular circulation. The effect on the central nervous system may show itself in symptoms such as drowsiness, tremors or shaking of the muscles, seizures, collapse, and even coma that can lead to death.[citation needed] Oleander sap can cause skin irritations, severe eye inflammation and irritation, and allergic reactions characterized by dermatitis.[41]

Treatment[edit] Poisoning and reactions to oleander plants are evident quickly, requiring immediate medical care in suspected or known poisonings of both humans and animals.[41] Induced vomiting and gastric lavage are protective measures to reduce absorption of the toxic compounds. Activated charcoal may also be administered to help absorb any remaining toxins.[15] Further medical attention may be required depending on the severity of the poisoning and symptoms. Temporary cardiac pacing will be required in many cases (usually for a few days) until the toxin is excreted.[citation needed] Digoxin immune fab is the best way to cure an oleander poisoning if inducing vomiting has no or minimal success, although it is usually used only for life-threatening conditions due to side effects.[42] Drying of plant materials does not eliminate the toxins. It is also hazardous for animals such as sheep, horses, cattle, and other grazing animals, with as little as 100 g being enough to kill an adult horse.[43] Plant clippings are especially dangerous to horses, as they are sweet. In July 2009, several horses were poisoned in this manner from the leaves of the plant.[44] Symptoms of

a poisoned horse include severe diarrhea and abnormal heartbeat. There is a wide range of toxins and secondary compounds within oleander, and care should be taken around this plant due to its toxic nature. Different names for oleander are used around the world in different locations, so, when encountering a plant with this appearance, regardless of the name used for it, one should exercise great care and caution to avoid ingestion of any part of the plant, including its sap and dried leaves or twigs. The dried or fresh branches should not be used for spearing food, for preparing a cooking fire, or as a food skewer. Many of the oleander relatives, such as the desert rose (Adenium obesum) found in East Africa, have similar leaves and flowers and are equally toxic.[citation needed]

Folklore[edit] The toxicity of the plant makes it the center of an urban legend documented on several continents and over more than a century. Often told as a true and local event, typically an entire family, or in other tellings a group of scouts, succumbs after consuming hot dogs or other food roasted over a campfire using oleander sticks.[45] Some variants tell of this happening to Napoleon's or Alexander the Great's soldiers.[46] There is an ancient account mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History,[47] who described a region in Pontus in Turkey where the honey was poisoned from bees having pollinated poisonous flowers, with the honey left as a poisonous trap for an invading army.[48][49][50] The flowers have sometimes been mis-translated as Oleander,[51] but Oleander flowers are nectarless and therefore cannot transmit any toxins via nectar.[25] The actual flower referenced by Pliny was Azalea/Rhododendron, which is still used in Turkey to produce a hallucinogenic honey.[52]

Cultivation history[edit]

The first oleander planting in Galveston, Texas

Nerium oleander has a history of cultivation going back millennia, especially amongst the great ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean Basin. Some scholars believe it to be the rhodon (rose), also called the 'Rose of Jericho', mentioned in apocryphal writings (Ecclesiasticus XXIV, 13)[53] dating back to between 450 and 180 BC.[54] This is because no form of the traditional rose occurs in the wild in Palestine, but pink-flowering Oleander is common throughout the region near lakes and along stream or river beds.[55] The ancient Greeks had several names for the plant, including rhododaphne, nerion, rhododendron and rhodon.[56] Pliny confirmed that the Romans had no Latin word for the plant, but used the Greek terms instead.[47]Pedanius Dioscorides states in his 1st century AD pharmacopeia De Materia Medica that the Romans used the Greek rhododendron but also the Latin Oleander and Laurorosa. The Egyptians apparently called it scinphe, the North Africans rhodedaphane, and the Lucanians (a southern Italic people) icmane.[57] Both Pliny and Dioscorides stated that oleander was an effective antidote to venomous snake bites if mixed with Rue and drunk. A 2014 article in the medical journal Perspectives in Biology and Medicine posited that oleander was the substance used to induce hallucinations in the Pythia, the female priestess of Apollo, also known as the Oracle of Delphi in Ancient Greece.[58] According to this theory, the symptoms

of the Pythia's trances (enthusiasmos) correspond to either inhaling the smoke of or chewing small amounts of oleander leaves, often called by the generic term laurel in Ancient Greece, which led to confusion with the bay laurel that ancient authors cite. In his book Enquiries into Plants of circa 300 BC, Theophrastus described (among plants that affect the mind) a shrub he called onotheras, which modern editors render oleander; "the root of onotheras [oleander] administered in wine", he alleges, "makes the temper gentler and more cheerful". The plant has a leaf like that of the almond, but smaller, and the flower is red like a rose. The plant itself (which loves hilly country) forms a large bush; the root is red and large, and, if this is dried, it gives off a fragrance like wine. In another mention, of "wild bay" (Daphne agria), Theophrastus appears to intend the same shrub.[59] Oleander was a very popular ornamental shrub in Roman peristyle gardens; it is one of the flora most frequently depicted on murals in Pompeii and elsewhere in Italy. These murals include the famous garden scene from the House of Livia at Prima Porta outside Rome, and those from the House of the Wedding of Alexander and the Marine Venus in Pompeii.[60] Carbonized fragments of oleander wood have been identified at the Villa Poppaea in Oplontis, likewise buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79.[10] They were found to have been planted in a decorative arrangement with citron trees (Citrus medica) alongside the villa's swimming pool.

Leaf scorch[edit]

Oleanders infected with Xylella fastidiosa in Phoenix, AZ

A bacterial disease known as oleander leaf scorch has become an extremely serious threat to the shrub since it was first noticed in Palm Springs, California, in 1992.[61] The disease has since decimated hundreds of thousands of shrubs mainly in Southern California, but also on a smaller scale in Arizona, Nevada and Texas.[62][28] The culprit is a bacterium called Xylella fastidiosa, which is spread via insects (the glassy-winged sharpshooter primarily) who feed on the tissue of oleanders and spread the bacteria. This inhibits the circulation of water in the tissue of the plant, causing individual branches to die until the entire plant is consumed. Symptoms of leaf scorch infection may be slow to manifest themselves, but it becomes evident when parts of otherwise healthy oleanders begin to yellow and wither, as if scorched by heat or fire. Die-back may cease during winter dormancy, but the disease flares up in summer heat when the plant is actively growing, allowing the bacteria to spread through the xylem of the plant. As such it can be difficult to identify at first because gardeners may mistake the symptoms for those of drought stress or nutrient deficiency.[63] Pruning out affected parts can slow the progression of the disease but not eliminate it.[61] This malaise can continue for several years until the plant completely dies - there is no known cure.[18] The best method for preventing further spread of the disease is to prune infected oleanders to the ground immediately after the infection is noticed.

In art and culture[edit]

Oleanders by Vincent van Gogh

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  

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Janet Fitch's 1999 novel White Oleander is centered around a young Southern California girl's experiences growing up in foster care after her mother is imprisoned for poisoning an ex-boyfriend with the plant.[64] The book was adapted into a 2002 film of the same name starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman. The rock band Oleander took its name from the plant because it lines miles of highways in the band's native Sacramento.[65] Oleanders were famously referenced by the band Steely Dan in their song "My Old School." Mr. Briggs, a character in the movie Enchanted April, tells a family myth about his father sticking his walking staff into the soil to mark the spot where he wanted an Oleander to be planted, which then sprouted leaves and turned into a live oleander.[66] Oleander was used as a poison to kill mice, on Gilligan's Island (season 2 episode 16, "Not Guilty").

Oleander has formed the subject matter of paintings by famous artists including:   

 

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Gustav Klimt, who painted "Two Girls with an Oleander" between 1890-92.[67] Vincent van Gogh painted his famous "Oleanders" in Arles in 1888. Van Gogh found the flowers "joyous" and "life-affirming" because of their inexhaustible blooms and vigour.[68] Anglo-Dutch artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema incorporated Oleanders into his classicallyinspired paintings, including "An Oleander" (1882), "Courtship", "Under the Roof of Blue Ionian Weather"[69] and "A Roman Flower Market" (1868). "The Terrace at Méric (Oleanders)", an 1867 Impressionist painting by Frédéric Bazille.[70] "The Rehearsal of the Flute Player and the Wife of Diomedes in the Atrium of Prince Napoleon's Pompeian House in Paris" (1861) by Gustave Boulanger features potted Oleanders in a Roman period scene. "Fulvia with the Head of Cicero" by Pavel Svedomsky - a 19th century scene from Roman history with a potted Oleander.[71]

Willa Cather, in her book The Song of the Lark, mentions oleander in this passage: This morning Thea saw to her delight that the two oleander trees, one white and one red, had been brought up from their winter quarters in the cellar. There is hardly a German family in the most arid parts of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, but has its oleander trees. However loutish the American-born sons of the family may be, there was never one who refused to give his muscle to the back-breaking task of getting those tubbed trees down into the cellar in the fall and up into the sunlight in the spring. They may strive to avert the day, but they grapple with the tub at last.[72] 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.[73] It is the provincial flower of Sindh province.