Information
History
The Nerium Oleander originates from the region around the Mediterranean
Sea, the eastern part of Asia Minor and from the borders of the Himalayas
to the western part of China. The Oleander, adorned by nature with a single
flower, especially grows alongside rivers and in river beds that are dry
for the greatest part of the year.
The name Nerium Oleander was given by Linnaeus in 1753 and stems from the Greek "nerion", a name already given to this plant by Dioscorides (a Greek army medical officer, 70 BC). The generic name Oleander originates from the Latin "olea" meaning olive tree and the Greek word "dendron," which means tree or shrub and points to the Oleander's olive tree-like leaves.
Even way back in the 19th century many types were collected and crossbred so that now there are more than 170 known types in various colours.