I have heard that you should never plant oleander near a water line. Is this a fact and if so why not?

All parts of Oleander are poisonous if ingested. Don't burn prunings as smoke can cause severe irritation.





That said, Oleanders are EVERYWHERE in Northern California. I have probably 20 to 40 plants in my own yard!! I have a well and extensive irrigation lines on my 2 acres and raised 3 kids here. My grandmother had oleanders all around her 20 acres --4 kids and 15 grand kids. I have NEVER heard anything about oleanders and water lines!!





I checked in the Sunset Western Garden Book (which is the Bible for gardeners in the west) . It notes that the Oleander is the basic landscaping shrub in the west. While it gives the basic warnings about the parts being poisonous (what I included in the first paragraph), it does not give any indication that being near a water line is any problem.





Frankly, I don't know of ANY poisonous plants that contaminate water lines. Think about it --poison oak/ivy/sumac grows along the banks of creeks and streams and people drink that water with no effect!!





If you have a sunny area and need a shrub that requires little to no summer watering, my first thought would be: OLEANDER!!





Good Luck!!

I have heard that you should never plant oleander near a water line. Is this a fact and if so why not?
Oleander is beautiful but very very poisonous. Planting near a water line might cause contamination even though it is really highly unlikely because your water line should be leak proof. Have a nice week.