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Oleander. Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Oleander, Nerium oleander. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Oleander (Nerium)

Family: This genus is classified in the family Malpighiaceae (Malpighiaceae) or in the subfamily Apocynaceae (Oleander)

Origin: Species of the genus Oleander are native to the Mediterranean countries, China, Japan and India.

Area: Oleander is grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world as an ornamental plant. In nature, oleander is found in the Mediterranean and Asia.

Chemical composition: Oleander contains many cardioglycosides such as oleandridin, neriin, and digitoxin. These substances can be toxic if consumed in large amounts, but when dosed correctly, they can be used medicinally to treat heart disease.

Economic value: Oleander is used in horticulture as an ornamental plant due to its beautiful flowers and leaves. However, it should be borne in mind that all parts of the plant, including leaves and flowers, contain toxic cardioglycosides, so you should be careful when working with them. Oleander also finds use in medicine, where its cardiotonic properties are used to treat heart conditions, but only under medical supervision and under strict dosage control.

Legends, myths, symbolism: In Greek mythology, it was believed that the first oleanders arose from the milk of Hera, the wife of the main god Zeus, who fed her son Hercules. According to legend, Hercules was poisoned by eating a dish cooked in oleander dishes. In Chinese culture, oleander symbolizes beauty, charm and grace, as well as femininity. In Muslim culture, oleander is associated with love and beauty, and in Europe with the inevitability of death and grief.

Oleander, Nerium oleander. Description, illustrations of the plant

Oleander. Legends, myths, history

It is difficult to establish the homeland of the plant, although there is an assumption that oleanders were first found in South Asian countries. Beautiful flowering shrubs are distinguished by large and bright five-petal flowers, the color of the corolla is most often white or all shades of pink, but there are red, yellow and orange oleanders.

Among all known shrubs used in horticulture and landscape design, oleanders are considered the most poisonous plants. Their juice contains cardiac glycosides, which can lead not only to poisoning of the body, but even to cardiac arrest and coma. The content of toxic substances in the oleander was allegedly described by Theophrastus in 300 BC.

There are many speculations and legends about the oleander, many of which claim that deaths have occurred not only as a result of chewing leaves or brewing tea from oleander flowers, but even using its wood as fuel.

So, there is a myth about how in 1809 the French soldiers of Napoleon's army went to Madrid, having conquered it, they staged looting. Twelve soldiers took away the lambs from the inhabitants, fried them on a fire, using branches of unfamiliar plants - oleanders - as firewood and skewers.

In the morning, seven of those who profited from the booty did not wake up again, and five more soldiers suffered the grave consequences of poisoning. In India, oleander flowers are considered traditional for funerals.

The name of the plant is full of secrets and mysteries: the word "oleander" is also interpreted as having the same root in Latin with olive, since both plants have similar leaves, while others argue that the word oleander contains a modified root of the Latin name of rhododendrons, with flowers of which oleander is also similar.

A Mediterranean legend tells a completely romantic story about an oleander: a handsome young man named Leander from the city of Abydos fell in love with a priestess of the goddess Aphrodite named Hero, who lived in Sesta - on the other side of the Hellespont. To see her, Leander swam every night through the raging waves of the strait, and Hero lit lanterns on the tower, which would serve as a beacon for him.

But one day the elements played out so strongly that they extinguished the fire in Gero's lanterns, and Leander, who had lost his course, was exhausted, struggling with the waves. Hero screamed for a long time on the shore in the hope that Leander would at least hear her voice and sail to her, but only in the morning the dead body of her lover washed up on the shore.

In desperation, Hero threw herself from the tower directly into the waves of the strait, and on the shore, in memory of this tragic love, full of desperate heroism and courage, an oleander bush grew.

There is another Mediterranean legend about the oleander: in the distant Mediterranean, in ancient times, a volcano woke up. All the inhabitants of the area took to their heels. But there was nowhere to retreat: the avalanche was approaching, oppressing all life to the lake itself. The reservoir was so wide that it was impossible to swim across. And then the son of the gods named Oleander came to the aid of people: he drank all the water, devastating the lake.

When the lake became shallow, people were able to run farther from the overtaking rockfall and lava. But Oleander himself became so heavy from the water that he could not budge. It was covered with volcanic lava. But when everything stopped and the fog cleared, an amazing shrub grew up on the shore of the lake, which is now found in river valleys, along the banks of reservoirs, on the sea coast. The name of this shrub is oleander.

Another, less romantic legend says the following about the origin of the name oleander: the French pirate and smuggler Jean Lafitte, with the tacit consent of the American government, attacked Spanish and English ships in the Gulf of Mexico.

During the next boarding of the ship by pirates, all passengers died, but one managed to survive, grabbing onto the branches of a bush that grew on the shore. It turned out to be a certain Ole Anderson, whom Lafitte not only saved his life, but also reproduced as a gardener, and named the growing bush in honor of the escaped oleander.

Author: Martyanova L.M.

Oleander, Nerium oleander. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Attention! Oleander is not used in traditional medicine and cosmetology, as it is an extremely poisonous plant. All parts of the plant contain cardioglycosides, which can cause serious poisoning.

Oleander, Nerium oleander. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a shrub commonly grown in warm regions such as the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa.

Tips for growing, harvesting and storing oleander:

Cultivation:

• Oleander prefers fertile, well-drained soils and sheltered from the wind.
• It also needs a lot of light, so planting it in a sunny spot is best.
• Oleander planting is best done in spring or early fall.
• You need to choose a planting site where drainage functions well, and make sure that the plants are at least 1-1,5 meters apart.
• Planting depth should be equal to the depth of the container in which the oleander grew.
• Oleander needs moderate watering and regular feeding during the growing season (spring and summer). He does not like excess moisture, so reduce the amount of watering during the rainy season.
• All dry or damaged leaves and flowers must be removed to maintain plant health.
• If you wish, you can prune your oleander at any time of the year to remove damaged or unwanted branches.

Workpiece:

• Oleander is a poisonous plant, so care must be taken when working with it.
• Flowering branches can be cut and used in bouquets or vases. However, you need to cut them off before they begin to dry out.
• Never use oleander as a food item as it can be poisonous.

Storage:

• Oleander is not meant to be kept fresh as it dries out quickly and loses its freshness.
• The best way to preserve an oleander is to keep its flowering branches in a dry place.
• If you want to preserve flowering oleander branches, you can dry them by hanging them horizontally in a warm, dry place for several weeks. After drying, they can be used for decorative purposes.

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