Oleander
/ˌoʊliˈændər/noun
An evergreen shrub or small tree with narrow leaves and showy, often fragrant flowers, all parts of which are highly poisonous.
Did you know?Oleander’s name passed through Latin and Greek, but the plant itself was infamous in antiquity for its toxicity, making it one of the classic “beautiful but deadly” plants of the Mediterranean.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
nerion
“Oleander; the poisonous shrub Nerium oleander”
Latin
Latin
nerium
“The oleander plant”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
oleander
“A form influenced by folk association with olive and laurel-like leaves”
Middle French
French
oléandre
“Oleander”
16th–17th Century
English
oleander
“The ornamental but poisonous shrub”
Explore more surprising origins