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Phoenix Garden Calendar

Giant Thevetia
Scientific Name: Thevetia thevetioides (Kunth) K. Schum.
Synonym: Cerbera thevetioides
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Recommended Temperature Zone:
Sunset®: 12-13,22-24
USDA: 9b-11

Frost Tolerance: Semi-hardy in Phoenix, occasionally loses some leaves after a cold night

Heat Tolerance: Not as tolerant of low-desert heat as Thevetia peruviana

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Origin: Central and southern Mexico

Growth Habits: Small tree 10 to 25 feet tall (3-8 m); milky sap; wavy linear-lanceolate leaves, 2.4 to 5 inches long (6-12.5 cm), 0.2 to 0.5 cm wide (5-12 mm)

Watering Needs: When established, regular deep watering

Propagation: Seeds, cuttings


The scientific name is Thevetia, of André Thévet (1502-1590), French missionary who collected plants in South America.
The sap and the seed of the Yellow Oleander are poisonous. The seeds contain potent heart stimulants, that can be lethal if enough is ingested.

Blooming Habits:
Bright yellow flowers, 4 inches in diameter (10 cm), in summer.

Fruiting Habits:
Large green spherical fruits with rounded corners turning black when ripe and creating visible litter as they fall.


 

 

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