The oleander is a common landscaping shrub along freeways and for hedges in Southern California because it is easy on water demands.  When the flowers are massed, the oleanders can present a spectacular sight.  Their biggest drawback, especially growing in a yard, is that they are quite poisonous, including the smoke if they are burned.

Here is a close look at the oleander flowers.  They come in white, pink, and red.

This shows shows how dense the foliage is, as well as the shape of the leaves.

Here is the fruit of the oleander.  It is a large capsule which splits lengthwise to release the seeds when it is mature.

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