Removal of Oleander on strip between sidewalk and street
Hi parents!
My husband and I have a two year old daughter. The previous owners of our home planted Oleander on the strip between the sidewalk and the street. I am considering getting it removed because it is poisonous.
I am wondering
1. if anyone knows how much this might cost or knows a good person or company to call for the removal
and
2. if anyone has a suggestion for another plant to put in that strip that requires little to no maintenance/ watering.
The Oleander has thrived with little attention and absolutely no watering. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it to have it removed.
Jun 26, 2019
Parent Replies
Is you child going to be out in front of your house unsupervised? I doubt it. By the time you let them out on their own, they will be old enough to understand that they shouldn't eat random plants. If the plants are doing well, just leave them.
Unless you plan to let your toddler play unattended near the street, I wouldn't bother.
For one thing, there's Oleander everywhere, likely in your neighbors yards as well. Poisonous plants are not a problem if you don't go around eating them. LOTS of plants are poisonous and exist everywhere in our cities. I suggest leaving the (drought tolerant, well established and beautiful) plants alone and if you are worried just keep an eye on your child for now when they are playing outside, and as they get older have the conversations with them about plants that are poisonous (as most people do with their kids) and why we shouldn't eat them.
I wouldn't sweat the oleander. We have an acre of land, and about 20 oleander bushes -- all the way down the steep driveway between us and the neighbors, and more along the back of the yard by the pool. In the 25 years we have lived there we raised two kids, have had dozens of kids swimming and playing, and have had four dogs. Our neighbor raised a child there and has cats. No one ever ate the oleader, no one ever was poisoned. The scooter rides down the steep driveway (one broken arm) were a way greater hazard.
I grew up around oleander, most kids had it in their yards in my town. Kids don't tend to be unattended out front of their house until they are old enough not to eat plants, and of course there are lots of poisonous plants that people keep in their yards that happen not to be oleander.
I will say that most of the oleander toxicity that I have heard about is in cattle and horses that accidentally ingest it while grazing. Dogs and cats are susceptible too, it's just a quite bitter leaf for casual munching by household pets and kids.