The Language of Oleander Flowers and the Legendary Stories Explained
Oleander is also known as Yangtao, Jiaochudong, Liuyeshu, Yangtaomei and so on. It is an evergreen upright large shrub of the genus Nerium in the family Apocynaceae, native to India, Iran and Nepal. It is cultivated in various provinces and regions of China, especially in the south, and is often grown in parks, scenic areas, along roadsides, or beside rivers and lakes. Where it is cultivated north of the Yangtze River, it must be kept in a greenhouse to overwinter. Now let us take a look at the language of oleander flowers and its legend!
The Language of Oleander Flowers
The language of peach-colored oleander flowers iscursing、Beware of danger, and the language of yellow oleander flowers isdeep friendship. Oleander flowers are fragrant, and the flowers grow concentrated at the tips of the branches, clustered together like an open umbrella, shaped like a funnel, with petals overlapping each other. There are three colors: red, yellow and white, among which red is the natural color, while white and yellow are new varieties created through long-term artificial cultivation.
Is oleander poisonous?
The entire oleander plant is highly toxic, and it is dangerous for humans and livestock if ingested by mistake, so it should be avoided near wells and drinking water pools. The fragrance of oleander flowers can make people drowsy and reduce intelligence. The milky white liquid secreted by the stems, leaves, bark, flowers and fruits all contains a highly toxic substance called oleandrin. Excessive contact can easily induce cancers of the respiratory and digestive systems, but a small amount of short-term contact will not cause too much of a problem.
The Legend of Oleander
1. Legend has it that there was a beautiful girl named Tao, who fell in love with a stubborn boy named Zhu, but the Tao family opposed it and beat Zhu to death. Tao was heartbroken and followed her lover, committing suicide for love. After the two arrived in heaven, God was moved and said he could grant them one wish. Tao said that what she loved most in her life was the beautiful peach blossom, while Zhu stubbornly wanted to keep the toughness of bamboo. From then on, there was one more plant in the world——oleander, blooming flowers like peach blossoms and having leaves like bamboo.
2. Legend has it that oleander was originally white. A beautiful princess loved to plant oleander and filled her palace with it. The beginning of the tragedy came from the beautiful princess falling in love with her own retainer, but she suffered opposition from her family, and the fragile princess chose to die together with her lover. However, the retainer did not truly love her, but only sought benefit. After the sorrowful princess learned the truth, she killed herself beneath her beloved oleander. One person's blood soaked into the oleander, and the intense poison generated by the princess's resentment grew along with the roots and stems, blooming in the human world.
The Story of Oleander
The daughter of the God of the Earth was delicate and charming, with skin as white as frost, so people called her "Princess Baimiao". Many young talents tried to court her, but they could never obtain the consent of her father. One day, the handsome and accomplished God of Plants came to visit. Princess Baimiao's father thought this young man was the most ideal son-in-law, so he found an opportunity to bring up the marriage to the young man.
Unexpectedly, this bold and straightforward young man blurted out, "Princess Baimiao is indeed a beautiful and gentle girl, but her face lacks vitality. When her face has a pink color, I will naturally come to propose." Hearing this, the God of the Earth was very sad, and for his daughter's sake he had no choice but to seek help from the Emperor of Heaven.
The Emperor of Heaven then gave him a branch of oleander and instructed him to crush the pink flowers and apply them to the princess's face. After the princess washed her face, her frost-white skin gradually revealed a pink color. The God of Plants came to propose as agreed, and only then was this marriage completed amid the blessings of the gods, adding a fine couple to the immortal realm. As for why the toxic oleander juice did not affect the princess's health, it is unknown.