Oleander in my tort yard?

[KrissyLeigh]

Does anyone know if this is oleander? The large tree in the first photo, followed by a close-up of the leaves. I didn't think it grew that large, but it sure looks like it. I know oleander is poisonous to most animals - does that include torts?

If it is oleander do I need to completely remove the tree, or can I just cut it down away from the tort space? The problem is I was going to make that whole yard tort space, though I haven't quite figured out how to cover it with that tree in the way. I was thinking about fencing it around the tree. But if it's oleander I don't want leaves falling into the enclosure and making the torts sick of they chomp on them.

 

[Tom]

Yes it is oleander and it is extremely toxic. Even getting the sap on your skin can be irritating.

You need to completely remove it and get the stump and roots dug out too. I had about 30 of them on my ranch when I bought it. Man that was a chore. It will come back if you leave any in the ground.

A neighbor had one in his back yard that my tortoises had no access too. He decided to trim it one day and some of the trimmed leaves fell into my yard. I noticed it just as the tortoise noticed it and I literally ran over and snatched a piece out of his mouth as he prepared to swallow it. When people say tortoises know what to eat and what to avoid, they are wrong. Some tortoises will avoid some plants some of the time in some situations, but other tortoises will eat toxic plants and die. Happens all the time. I know a guy who just lost an adult Galop and an adult Aldabra to a new jasmine plant that a gardener put in.

 

[KrissyLeigh]

omg! Ok, it's definitely coming out!!! Thank you so much!!!

I can't stand the stuff - I know that birds won't nest in it, and I don't understand why people would plant that instead of something safe and natural that can contribute to the ecosystem. Ugh! I have never seen one this big, which is why I wasn't sure of ID and decided to post.

Palm trees are ok?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

omg! Ok, it's definitely coming out!!! Thank you so much!!!

I can't stand the stuff - I know that birds won't nest in it, and I don't understand why people would plant that instead of something safe and natural that can contribute to the ecosystem. Ugh! I have never seen one this big, which is why I wasn't sure of ID and decided to post.

Palm trees are ok?

Palms are hit and miss. Literally. The branches fall and hit or miss things.
Do you have small ones?
I removed my Royal palms (3) and coconut palm because of branches, coconuts and whole trees in the case of a nearly 60 foot Royal falling in a hurricane with two days of rain beforehand. The large branches where large enough and heavy enough to damage tortoise pens.
Some bonehead in 1976 thought it would be a good idea to plant a coconut palm next to the driveway of my house. 40 years later, there where 2-3 pound organic ANVILS hanging there, looking for a human skull or nice shiny car to drop on to. Coconut palms can stand up to a category five hurricane in most instances. So they grow and grow. Palms are mostly water and weigh A LOT more than one might think. I cut it down and sectioned it and waited a few weeks with the wood stacked. After that time, it was as light as a feather.

 

[Tom]

I can't stand the stuff - I know that birds won't nest in it, and I don't understand why people would plant that instead of something safe and natural that can contribute to the ecosystem

I agree. I think people plant it because it is very hardy, survives almost anywhere, and the flowers are pretty too. Its so toxic that nothing will eat it.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

This kind of removal is when it's a good time to consider hiring a Gardner for one day. Depending on how reactive you might be even leaves touching your skin can show a reaction.

If you do it yourself, wear long sleeves shirt, long pants and gloves. You might even consider buy cheap clothes at a salvation army and just tossing them when you are done.

 

[KrissyLeigh]

This kind of removal is when it's a good time to consider hiring a Gardner for one day. Depending on how reactive you might be even leaves touching your skin can show a reaction.

If you do it yourself, wear long sleeves shirt, long pants and gloves. You might even consider buy cheap clothes at a salvation army and just tossing them when you are done.

Thanks for the advice! I was considering pricing out a yard guy... hopefully the landlord will let me remove them if I offer to plant something else, otherwise I'm going to have to rethink my entire plans and find a different place for the torts. Which would be a real bummer, because other than the oleander the enclosed side yard is pretty perfect. Sigh.

 

[KrissyLeigh]

I will probably be posting more plant pics to make sure everything is tort safe... I have a list of dangerous plants, but my plant ID skills are way lame. Glad I asked about the oleander!!! The other plants in the yard are small palm trees and weedy-type plants. The good news is I live in a tropical climate, so there is a wide range of things I can *theoretically* successfully plant

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the advice! I was considering pricing out a yard guy... hopefully the landlord will let me remove them if I offer to plant something else, otherwise I'm going to have to rethink my entire plans and find a different place for the torts. Which would be a real bummer, because other than the oleander the enclosed side yard is pretty perfect. Sigh.

In the case of a highly toxic plant, I would ask for forgiveness instead of permission. If asked why you removed it: "Those are HIGHLY toxic!" If its replaced with another nice looking plant, like a hibiscus or lavatera, or rose of sharon, or cape honeysuckle, etc…, the landlord should have no problem with it. I'm a "land lord" and I wouldn't have a problem with that.

 

[MPRC]

If you do it yourself, wear long sleeves shirt, long pants and gloves. You might even consider buy cheap clothes at a salvation army and just tossing them when you are done.

That's what we do when we have to deal with Poison Oak around here - right down to the shoes!

 

[enchilada]

or you can inject salt water/bleach into the tree trunks. im sure landlord wont have any problem removing dead trees.