The Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a common ornamental evergreen shrub. It is used as a freeway median divider in warmer states, such as California and Texas. This plant is extremely toxic, and a single leaf may kill an adult. Poisoning has occurred when people use the branches for a skewer to roast hot dogs over a fire.  The Nerium and yellow oleander are both poisonous plants. Accidental poisoning can occur by ingestion (as little as one leaf of the Nerium oleander may be lethal in children), by inhalation of smoke from burning oleander, or from the use of medical preparations from the leaves of oleander which have been used as treatments for malaria, leprosy, venereal diseases, and to induce abortions.  Oleander is also used as an animal poison, which is best illustrated by its role as a rat poison.   All parts of the Nerium oleander are poisonous, primarily due to the contained cardiac glycosides of which oleandrin is the principal toxin. The bark also contains rosagenin which has strychnine like actions. The clinical features of oleander poisoning are therefore similar to digoxin toxicity and include nausea, vomiting and ventricular fibrillation.

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