Yellow Oleander, Lucky nut
Thevetia peruviana

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows up to 6 m tall. It has many branches. It has a smooth trunk often with knots. The leaves are narrow and long. They are 7-8 cm long by 0-7 cm wide. They are smooth and shiny above and dull green underneath. They occur in rings. The flowers are yellow and bell shaped. They have a scent. They are 4-5 cm long. The fruit are greenish and smooth.

Used as medicine in China and Indonesia. All plant parts are considered toxic to animals.

Where it is found

A tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Antilles, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Central America, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, East Africa, El Salvador, Eswatini, Guatemala, Guianas, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Southern Africa, South America, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, USA, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The seeds are poisonous. ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT ARE POISONOUS.

Edible parts

Poisonous

How it is grown

It can easily be grown from cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Ginje, Huang hua jia, Pili kaner, Rumpoey, Zhu tao

Synonyms

Cerbera peruviana Pers.; Cerbera peruviana Persoon; Cascabela thevetia (Linnaeus) Lippold; Cerbera thevetia Linnaeus; Thevetia linearis A. de Candolle; Thevetia neriifolia Jus-sieu ex Steudel; Thevetia neriifolia Jussieu ex A. de Candolle; Thevetia thevetia (Linnaeus) Millspaugh;