Why is the Oleander plant so beautiful but yet so toxic?
I live in Spain and these plants are everywhere here, some the size of trees and they’re also used as hedging. I agree it does seem strange but it’s actually not so uncommon for plants to be toxic, the Leopard Lily (Dieffenbachia AKA Galatea) is a very popular and attractive houseplant, but it’s fairly poisonous, I’m sure that there are many more. I think we tend to assume that because plants are so natural that they are safe. In a lot of cases they are not. Rhubarb when cooked makes a popular dessert, but the leaves are poisonous! Think of Deadly Nightshade ( Atropa_belladonna) or even worse the deadly poisons derived from plants used as the weapons on blow darts in jungle regions by the natives.Then of course you have the plants that actively kill, (although thankfully not humans! ) such as the Venus Fly Trap, I guess it’s just one of those things that makes botany so fascinating!
