Nerium oleander
Oleander Πικροδάφνη
Apocyanaceae - dogbane family Dicot.
The A Mediterranean native, Nerium oleander, forms an attractive bush with grey-green evergreen foliage, it has abundant, beautiful flowers, which vary from white to deepest pink and long, narrow seed pods. It grows wild in the vicinity of water but with its deep roots, is able to tolerate prolonged drought. It is a popular garden plant on Skopelos, often planted to border a property. It is probably not endemic to Skopelos but has escaped from gardens and naturalised along a seasonal creek.
Nerium from ancient Greek nirion (νήριον) from niros (νηρός) - water
Oleander from Leander - see myth of Leander and Hero below
✿ 20-30mm,↨ 20-40cm, ☠,℞,W JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
The myth of Leander and Hero
Ο μύθος του Λέανδρος και Ηρώ
Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite, who lived in a tower on the banks of the Hellespont and Leander was a young mortal who lived on the opposite side. He fell in love with Hero and swam across the straits to meet her, persuading her that Aphrodite, the goddess of love would approve of their union. He swam acroos every night throughout summer guided by a light held by Hero in the tower. When winter came they decided to wait until next spring to continue there liason, One stormy night Leander saw a light in the tower and attempted to swim across the water to meet Hero, but half way across the light went out. Lost in the stormy waves he drowned. When Hero heard of this she threw herself from the tower and she too drowned. The bodies of the couple were washed upon the banks of the Hellespont and there grew the beautiful but deadly oleander bushes.
