With its lush green foliage and colorful blooms oleander is a popular landscaping shrub in warm climates. However, all parts of this plant are highly toxic if ingested. Many homeowners seek safe alternatives that recreate the oleander aesthetic without the risk. Thankfully several native plants can provide a similar look minus the toxicity.
Why Seek Oleander Alternatives?
Oleander (Nerium oleander) contains cardiac glycosides that can cause serious illness or even death if eaten. Pets and children are especially vulnerable. While lovely, oleanders pose an unacceptable danger for many gardeners. Their overuse in landscaping also creates uninspired, repetitive designs.
Downsides like susceptibility to disease and minimal wildlife habitat value further the case for using substitute plants. Abundant alternatives mimic oleander’s lush greenery and graceful form without these drawbacks.
7 Great Oleander Lookalikes
Here are top picks for stunning plants that mirror oleanders visually but are safer and more ecologically beneficial
1. Hop Bush (Dodonaea viscosa)
This native desert shrub thrives in hot, arid climates. Its glossy green foliage provides a similar texture and density to oleander. Growing 10-15 feet tall, hop bush works well for hedges, screens and accents. Clusters of papery capsules create visual interest.
2. Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica)
Also called Sonoran rosewood this large native shrub has elegant oval leaves reminiscent of oleander. Abundant white blooms add spring color. Arizona rosewood reaches heights over 15 feet tolerates drought and attracts birds with its berry-like fruit.
3. Quailbush (Atriplex lentiformis)
Quailbush is an evergreen native shrub with rich green leaves and a mature height up to 10 feet. It fills a similar niche to oleander as a hedge or screen plant. Quailbush needs little water once established and provides habitat for birds and wildlife.
4. Desert Hackberry (Celtis pallida)
Desert hackberry is a native, drought-tolerant shrub reaching 10 feet tall at maturity. It has an oleander-esque leaf shape and branching structure. This plant works well for privacy and shade. Wildlife consume its small edible berries.
5. Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Though not a true shrub, jojoba’s olive-shaped leaves resemble oleander foliage. It grows 6-15 feet tall in dry conditions. Deer-resistant and carefree, jojoba is best suited to natural desert gardens. Cold hardy and long-lived, its oil-rich seeds have commercial uses.
6. Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)
Texas ranger is an attractive native shrub that thrives in heat and needs little watering. Growing 5-8 feet tall, its slim silver-gray leaves offer unique texture contrast. Prolific purple blooms add seasonal color. Leaf and flower form mimic oleanders on a smaller scale.
7. Creosote (Larrea tridentata)
Creosote is iconic to the Sonoran desert where oleanders also grow. This ubiquitous native evergreen shrub has dark green resinous leaves and yellow flowers. It spreads via extensive root clones to form thickets, playing a role similar to oleander hedges.
Cultivation Tips
Most oleander alternatives share preferences for full sun exposure, good drainage and minimal watering once established. Pruning, shearing and coppicing helps maintain desired shapes and sizes. Give them space to reach mature dimensions or keep rigorously trimmed.
Seek out disease-resistant varieties where available. Boost soil nutrition and organic matter at planting time. Avoid overwatering, but provide supplemental irrigation during prolonged droughts. Site selections matching natural habitat preferences aids health and vigor.
Safety First
When opting for oleander lookalikes, check toxicity levels carefully, especially if young children or pets may access the plants. While safer than oleander’s extreme risk, certain species like hop bush possess mild toxins. Also note thorns, spines or skin irritants before planting.
Natural, Low-Risk Beauty
You can craft stunning landscapes using oleander alternatives that echo their visual appeal yet avoid their liabilities. Mimicking oleander’s form and function safely expands design options. Replicating their lush green vibrancy is possible without the toxicity. Exploring oleander-esque native plants benefits people, pets and the local ecology too.
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Plant Arizona rosewood (Vauquelinia californica), not oleander (Nerium oleander) for a large flowering evergreen shrub. As you probably already know, oleander is extremely toxic — every part of the plant contains deadly glycosides which affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Even dried plant components remain toxic and cannot be added to compost or burned (the smoke is toxic). A single leaf can be deadly to a small child, and it takes very low doses for animals such as horses, dogs and cats to be poisoned.
Besides the potential harm to domesticated animals and people, the plant is terrible for pollinators — its showy flowers attract them but the plant offers no nectar to reward them for their hard work. It also has invasive potential, and has been listed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service on their “Priority Noxious and Invasive Plant” list.
Arizona rosewood is a great native alternative. It has a leaf shape very similar to oleander, and grows to a similar size. Its beautiful creamy white flowers are great for pollinators. It’s a great screening hedge. It uses less water than oleander, can be trained and pruned, and is completely non-toxic. It grows slowly at first, but you can speed up its growth by watering it more often once it’s established.
Plant native velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina), not Chilean mesquite (Prosopis chilensis) for a tall shade tree. The Chilean mesquite’s main selling point is the lack of thorns, but it has a number of drawbacks. For one thing, it has a shallower root system which makes it more likely to damage nearby structures like walls, driveways and sidewalks. It also makes the tree more likely to blow down in heavy storms. Chilean mesquites also require regular watering, while our native mesquites, once established, will do fine without any extra water. The velvet mesquite is one of the taller native mesquites, growing up to 50 feet tall. It is also an excellent habitat tree for a number of native and visiting birds. Because it loses its leaves for part of the winter, it can be planted in areas where you welcome winter sun but desire summer shade.
Plant Goodings verbena (Glandularia goodingii), not purple lantana (Lantana montevidensis) for a low-growing groundcover. Goodings verbena looks very similar to purple lantana, both in form and in color and in flower type. Its native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. It is short-lived, but will reseed in your garden. Goodings verbena is very versatile, doing well in anything from full sun to part shade. It’s hardy to 0 F and is drought-tolerant. Pollinators, especially butterflies, love it, and it is a larval food for some moths and butterflies.
While the lantana provides nectar, it does not provide any larval food for butterflies. Also, other types of lantana have been shown to spread quickly and do a lot of damage to a lot of places. Lantana camara has spread to many climates and is threatening important ecosystems in India (including important habitat for tigers), Australia, Hawaii, California, and some parts of Texas. I have noted that L. camara is also invasive in my yard.
Plant desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) instead of chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) for a flowering deciduous tree. There are times when the chaste tree grows as a weed in the wild, especially in washes, even though it looks beautiful. An equally beautiful native tree is the desert willow. It has tropical-looking pink to dark purple flowers. It is winter deciduous, like the chaste tree, so both create about the same amount of litter. Because it grows well in our area, the desert willow doesn’t need much care or watering once it’s established. It’s also a great tree for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Plant bull grass (Muhlenbergia emersleyi) not fountain grass (Penisetum spp.) for a showy, tall grass. Fountain grass is extremely invasive in our desert riparian areas, and puts our saguaro cacti at risk for high-temperature fires (like the ones last year that killed thousands of saguaros). Unfortunately, it is still sold as an ornamental grass by nurseries who claim it is “infertile.” The National Park Service states that even so-called infertile varieties can become cross-pollinated by related species and spread easily in our climate. Bull grass is native to our area and has beautiful, tall showy feathery stems. It also provides larval food for a number of native butterflies. It can tolerate our climate and soils well and is extremely hardy.
Plant Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) or a California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) instead of date palms (Phoenix spp.) for a tall palm tree. The Washingtonia palms are native to our area and adapted to our desert climate. They require less water, less trimming, and no special fertilization. They are hardy to 18-20 F. For more information, check out this great handout on palm trees from the University of Arizona’s extension office.
Plant the Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica, Cupressus arizonica) instead of Mediterranean conifers such as Italian pine, Italian cypress, and others. Arizona cypress, once common in elevations 3,000-6,000 feet, have plummeted in number due to drought, climate change, and bark beetle infestation. In a managed landscape, the threat of bark beetles can be minimized by regular watering. Keep in mind that all of these factors, including bark beetles, threaten non-native conifers in our area as well, so you should probably consider carefully before planting any conifer. If you definitely want one in your yard, choose the native option, as it will be best adapted to our conditions and will provide habitat for wildlife.
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Have any gardening ideas you’d like the Tucson Garden Guide to cover? Email me at dheusinkveld@tucson com with your suggestions and questions. Thanks for reading!.
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Oleander Standards for the Front Entryway: Beautiful and Toxic!
FAQ
Is there a plant that looks like oleander?
What is a good alternative to oleanders?
Are oleander flowers poisonous to touch?
Are there non-poisonous oleander?
Which oleander bushes grow best?
When asked for another option for the large, tall forms of oleanders, I recommend Hop Bush (Dodonaea viscosa), also known as Hopseed Bush. Grab my FREE guide for Fuss-Free Plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate! This native desert shrub has attractive, evergreen foliage and a similar growth habit to oleander.
What do oleanders look like?
Oleanders look something like olive trees with blossoms. They can grow from 3 to 20 feet (1-6 m.) tall and from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m.) wide. The blossoms are fragrant and different kinds of oleander plants produce different color flowers.
What is a good alternative to planting oleander?
Arizona rosewood is a good alternative to planting oleander. It has a similar leaf shape and grows to a similar size. Its beautiful creamy white flowers are great for pollinators. It is a great screening hedge. Arizona rosewood uses less water than oleander, can be trained and pruned, and is completely non-toxic.
Are oleander trees evergreen?
A widely used landscape plant in warmer climates, oleander is grown for its carefree habit and attractive star-shaped flowers that bloom nearly year-round. Because of its beauty and tough nature, this evergreen shrub is commonly seen along highway medians and in public landscapes in places like California, Florida, and Texas.