Oleander

[FearlessLeader]

we have an oleander tree right beside our balcony. We keep it cut right back, but now and again the flowers blow onto the balcony, which i always check for before letting DS play out there.
What i want to know is: if the flowers fall into my pots of herbs (which they do quite regularly as the pots hang over the edge) is there much danger in eating the herbs if the flowers have been touching them or the soil? Sometimes it's too hot/cold to play out there or we're just not home so sometimes they sit there for quite a few days. Anyone know if that's ok?

[FearlessLeader]

bump! We had some of the oregano with dinner and we're not dead

[Alexander Beetle]

I've never heard of it. But there was a member with that name wasn't there?

[sjay]

Oh I didn't realise there was any poisoning related to oleanders - such beautiful flowers!

[mjayneb]

I have been paranoid about these trees ever since I was a kid and touched one and my mother told me they are poisonous. You would probably have to eat the actual flowers. My grandfathers sister in Europe died after burning the branches in their fireplace. I figure they didn't know it was poisonous.

[Johnny Poppers]

You would have to ingest the leaves and sap of the plant, quite a bit of it from what I was told for poisoning to occur. This is why livestock can end up sick from eating them.

We grew up with oleanders around the yard and have never had any problems with us, the dog or horses getting sick.