Do Oleanders grow in my zone. I heard that they were poisonest to animals, is this true. My mother in law had them all around her yard in Nevada and her dogs either did not chew on them or they didn't get sick from them.

Do not worry about Oleanders toxicity. my aunt has been a veterinarian in PHX for 30 years and has never seen or heard of a case of oleander poisoning. We decided against Oleanders because of the proximity to the pool, they are very messy. We instead planted a Japanese Privet hedge, total of 65 5-gal spaced 3 ft. The only main drawback is the water consumption during their first summer. Each received 5 gallons of water 5x/week. Heavy water schedule on a reliable drip is an absolute must in their first summer. Otherwise they will fry. Even with consistent deep watering, about 20% did not survive. Another tip that will greatly enhance survival and thrive is proper soil amendment. Privets do not like high PH soil (too much salt) which is very prevalent in AZ soil. Prior to planting, treat the soil w a sulfur product. this will loosen the soil and allow for maximum nutrition uptake. Ensure to continually treat the plants w products that will lower PH levels. Many synthetic fertilizers will increase PH, so look for a local organic compound meant for trees and shrubs. Our hedge has grown 4 ft in 2 years. and will grow faster now that they're established. Good luck!

It was way too early to bring out a tropical - this was my first thought. You need to see consistent warm temperatures not just during the day but also over night. I live in Ontario and I know it's too cold to keep plants out overnight which is what you've done. Dark green leaves are indicative of exposure to very cold weather I do think your plant has suffered in 2 ways. The cold temperatures and also transplant shock. So it's not one thing but both. So I make sure they are well watered before they go through stress. We have had weather extremes. Just last week we had flurries in my area. Also as a matter of practise, I normally water plants a day before uprooting or transplanting. When the plant is uprooted, the roots get into that transplant shock state and is unable to absorb water. It is also worth knowing that tropicals tend to go through a form of hibernation during winter and may look poorly indoors but come spring, they seem to spring back. So they start having new leaves, etc. during spring and the plant does not go through root development. I do hope you didn't do any root pruning at this time. So what to do now. I hate to say it but take out that plant and put it in a pot and set it the garage. DO NOT do any fertilizing. Watch for die backs. Branches and leaves will start to show these first. What you hope for is that the base trunk/trunks remain alive. All you could do for now is a wait and see. Water only sparingly as needed. Watch for growth. If in doubt, scratch the bottom trunk to see if you can see greenery. But do be careful as oleanders are toxic and their sap can irritate your skin. If you also wish to check to see if their 'arteries' are functional, cut a tip off one branch and see how quickly sap will show. If it doesn't the branch is probably dead. If you cannot do a transplant now, then do your best to protect your plant by insulating it well. Good luck.

That oleander is indeed highly toxic in raw form and there have been a handful of reported deaths due to accidental ingestion. I would absolutely NOT recommend tasting it yourself, as it only takes a small amount to be fatal! However, did you know that the oleander plant is the source of a patented medicine used outside the US and a home remedy version anyone can make that some, including myself, believe are some of the most potent cancer fighters and immune boosters on the planet? Oleander has a history of medicinal use that dates back at least 3500 years to the ancient Mesopotamians and Babylonians and was used as far back as the 8th century BC by arab doctors as a treatment for cancer. In modern times, it has been used the pat 40 years in Turkey in a form that was later patented and has passed US FDA Phase I trials (but languishes now for lack of the $200 Million in funding need to take a product all the way through trials and to market). The patented medicine is currently made in Honduras and can be imported into the US under FDA exceptions rules. Oleander extract is also the major component of a botanical mixture which has been used the past three years in South Africa with amazing success to combat cancer and HIV/AIDS, where it has had remarkable success in healing cancers and reversing HIV symptoms - even in very late stages. To date, over 80 cancer patients and over 350 HIV/AIDS patients have used the oleander and all but 8 are alive and doing well (of the 8, 5 were too far gone at the beginning and another three succumbed to major organ failure as a likely result of chemo and/or radiation treatments). Oleander also has been shown to eliminate or greatly relieve virtually all known side effects of chemo and radiation, including hair loss! No doubt part of this is due in no small part to the fact that oleander was tested in Europe in 1986-87 and found to have six times the immunes stimulating activity of the most powerful patented immune stimulators known to man. And how do I now all this? I researched and wrote a book about it! Live long, live healthy, live happy! Here is a link that might be useful: Cancer's Natural Enemy