Kaner, Nerium Oleander (Pink) - 0.5 kg Seeds

Kaner (Nerium oleander), the pink oleander, is a tough evergreen shrub or small tree bearing clusters of showy pink, funnel-shaped flowers almost year-round above narrow, leathery, willow-like leaves. It is one of the most reliable flowering plants for hot, dry Indian conditions.

It is planted everywhere for ornamental colour, as clipped flowering hedges and screens, and along roadsides and highway dividers for its outstanding drought and pollution tolerance. All parts of the plant are toxic if eaten, so it should be sited away from children and livestock, though it has a history of careful external traditional-medicinal use. It grows across the plains of India in full sun on almost any well-drained soil.

• Family: Apocynaceae
• Native region: Mediterranean to South Asia
• Mature height: 2-5 m
• Growth rate: Moderate

The seed is borne in long paired follicles and carries a tuft of silky hairs; remove the fluff before sowing. Soak the seed in water for about 24 hours, then sow shallowly (barely covered) in a warm, moist tray; germination takes around 14-21 days. Transplant seedlings into bags once they have a few true leaves, handling the sap with care.