By Bat71
United Kingdom
Can anyone identify this (guessing it is a Willow) and recommend any maintenance. is it likely to become huge or can it be kept small?
- 19 Apr, 2017
Answers
The foliage is like an Oleander, with leaves in whorls of three, but weird to see one volunteering in the UK. Maybe global warming has gone further than I imagined!
19 Apr, 2017
Thanks, just to clear up this one given to me by mum in a pot, should I have kept it in the pot?
Just seen as well it if it is an Oleander it is quite poisonous, maybe not such a great plan to keep it with inquisitive baby in the house...
19 Apr, 2017
Bat there are lots of garden plants that are poisonous, you'll need to train baby not to put plants in its mouth or fence off areas of the garden so it can't access.
19 Apr, 2017
Most incidents involving oleander are intentional or the result of animals eating the leaves. For a poisonous plant to get eaten by a human there has to be something that encourages consumption - a pretty berry or foliage that looks like an edible for example.
But, Moon grower is exactly right. You'll never keep a child away from poisonous plants so what matters is education as soon as they are old enough to understand.
19 Apr, 2017
It looks like oleander to me too and I wouldn't worry about the infant issue. I can think of a dozen (at least) garden plants in my patch which I warned my children and later my grandchildren not to pick or eat and they are all unscathed. Oleanders are very pretty but I used to keep mine in pots and take them into shelter in winter.
19 Apr, 2017
I just read that a single oleander leaf is sufficient to kill a person, dog or cat. The flowers are extremely showy with an enticing scent.
You may find this interesting: https://www.hunker.com/12437783/how-toxic-is-oleander-to-humans
20 Apr, 2017
Could be wrong but looks like Oleander to me.
19 Apr, 2017