In many cities in the south, oleanders can be seen, and they can be found on the streets in front of their homes without even having to look for them deliberately.
However, experts say that although this plant is very beautiful, it is also rich in a variety of toxins, some of which are deadly toxins, and there have been reports of small amounts of consumption that have led to almost fatality.
So the question is, if oleanders are highly toxic, why are they everywhere in the city?
< h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > toxicity of oleander</h1>
Before we understand why oleander is so common, let's take a look at its toxicity.
Oleander is poisonous throughout the plant, its venom is the highest concentration in the sap, if you accidentally break the branches of oleander, its branches will flow out of the white sap, these white sap if contaminated to the surface of the skin, may cause paralysis.
The flowers and leaves of oleander are also poisonous, and the toxicity is very strong, and one leaf is enough to kill babies, so in the "Biography of Zhen Huan", someone uses dim sum made of oleander in an attempt to miscarry Zhen Huan.
For animals, animals weighing less than 2 pounds can only kill 0.5 mg, and for humans, perhaps more than 20 leaves can cause adverse effects on humans. There have been cases in Taiwan where oleanders have been used as chopsticks, resulting in food poisoning.
Oleander is very toxic, even after the tree dies, it will still exist, so if the oleander is burned, then the smoke generated by incineration may affect the human body.
If oleander is so poisonous, why is it still widely cultivated in the city?
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > why are oleanders widely grown? </h1>
It is said that in the origin of oleander, a oleander tree is planted in the backyard of local people, which is a precaution made by husbands to prevent their wives from cheating.
The reason is because when the lover comes here for a date, he must not dare to go to the front door, only dare to sneak in through the back door, and at this time their horses will fall in the backyard, because the oleander has a certain degree of toxicity, so the horse will die after accidentally eating, resulting in the incident being exposed. However, the authenticity of this matter is still in doubt, because the oleander leaves have a bitter taste, which animals can clearly distinguish. Coupled with the fact that horses prefer grass to leaves, the story is not currently confirmed.
The reason why oleander can be selected from many plants as a tree for street landscape is inseparable from the physique of oleander itself.
Since the Industrial Revolution, industrial countries around the world have faced a problem, that is, car exhaust, dust and smog increase, etc., and the landscape trees on the street have assumed the function of absorbing these toxic substances. Among them, oleander has a super ability to absorb toxic substances such as smog and car exhaust, so it is named "environmental protection guard", so many cities will plant some oleanders on both sides of the streets to purify the air.
Also, oleanders grow fast and can be formed in 2-3 years. And the recovery ability is strong, even if it is affected by pests and diseases, it can recover quickly. Other slow-growing trees need to be manually transplanted from the forest, which is more expensive. The use of oleanders can start from the seedlings and raise them at a lower cost.
In addition, the flowering period of oleander is very long, which can be extended from May to November, which can improve the aesthetics of the streets.
In addition, oleanders are not so harsh on the soil requirements, as long as the soil can be well drained to be able to grow them. However, because they are not cold-tolerant, they are rarely seen in the north.
Because of its above advantages, they can be seen in many cities in the south. However, due to their toxicity, coupled with the fact that some people pick its flowers because they are good-looking, poisoning incidents occur.
Because of this, many streets close to residential areas, as well as oleanders on pedestrian streets, have been removed and replaced with non-toxic trees. Nowadays, oleanders are more likely to appear in parks, viaducts, suburban streets, and industrial parks.
If we walk down the street and encounter oleanders, it is enough to look at them from a distance and do not pick their flowers and leaves. Of course, the leaves and branches of oleander have a bitter taste, and in general, there is no accidental ingestion.
We often say "attack poison with poison", in fact, oleander has certain medicinal value, but do not make or take it yourself, because there will be a risk of poisoning.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > summary</h1>
Although the beauty of oleander is poisonous, due to its super ability to absorb poisonous gases, they stand out from many plants and become the most vivid figures on both sides of the city road.
Nowadays, when some cities are planning, in order to prevent people from eating or directly contacting oleanders, they will try to keep oleanders away from crowded areas, as long as we do not die and actively eat them, they will hardly cause us any harm.