Although the tub plant with the pretty, mostly funnel-shaped yellow flowers is referred to as "yellow oleander" in this country, it only has the plant family and the strong toxicity in common with the real oleander (Nerium oleander) from a botanical point of view. While the yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana), also known as the bell tree, originally comes from Peru and mainly thrives in tropical regions, the real oleander is at home in the countries around the Mediterranean.
A single yellow oleander seed can kill a person
Caution: just one seed pod can kill a person!
All parts of the bell tree are highly poisonous. They contain the cardioactive glycosides Thevetin and Neriifolin, which ensure that the heartbeat first slows down and then stops completely. Even a single seed pod is potentially lethal to a human! But leaves, shoots and the milky sap that escapes when the bush is cut, for example, are also highly toxic. Everyone who wants to cultivate this exotic plant with the pretty flowers should be aware of this - it is therefore not advisable to keep Thevetia peruviana, especially in households with children.
Growing yellow oleander from seed
If you are not deterred by the strong toxicity of the plant and want to enjoy the extremely pretty flowers, you can grow the yellow oleander yourself from seeds. These are easily available on the Internet, but also in some well-stocked garden centers. Be very careful when handling the highly toxic seeds and only touch them with gloves to avoid accidental poisoning!
And this is how to grow young plantlets from the received seeds:
- Often you do not get pure seeds, but fruit capsules.
- Get the seeds out of the fruit pods, but only with gloves!
- Clean the seeds thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- Soak them in lukewarm water for about 48 hours.
- Now fill pots or bowls with potting soil.
- Plant the seeds about one to two centimeters deep into the substrate.
- Keep the substrate evenly moist.
- Ensure high humidity (e.g. in the indoor greenhouse)
- and for a consistently high temperature of around 25 °C.
- Germination occurs after a few weeks.
tips
Anyone who is enthusiastic about the real oleander will perhaps also enjoy the varieties with yellow flowers. In the case of Nerium oleander, i.a. the varieties "Isle of Capri", "Marie Gambetta", "Souvenier des Iles Canaries" and "Luteum Plenum" are very popular.