Arali, kaner in Hindi and karavira in Sanskrit, is oleander, a tough evergreen shrub with pink, red or white flowers planted in gardens, temples and road medians across India. Every part of the plant contains cardiac glycosides, especially oleandrin, which can stop the heart. Its flowers are offered at temples, but chewing leaves, flowers or roots has poisoned children and adults. It is a different plant from yellow oleander, Cascabela thevetia.
- Botanical name
- Nerium oleander L.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Tamil
- Arali
- Hindi
- Kaner
- Sanskrit
- Karavīra
- Parts used
- None as food
- Habit
- Showy garden shrub; every part is poisonous
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Arali
It is a bushy shrub or small tree, usually two to five metres, with milky sap.
The leaves are long, narrow, leathery and dark green, usually in whorls of three around the stem.
The flowers are funnel-shaped, single or double, pink, red, white or apricot, in clusters at the branch tips.
The fruit is a pair of long, slender pods that split to release seeds with tufts of brown hairs.
Yellow oleander has shorter, glossier, linear leaves and yellow flowers.
Traditional use of Arali
Ritual
Arali flowers are offered in Hindu temples, especially in South India.
South Indian temple practice
Garden
It is planted in road medians and dry gardens because it tolerates drought, heat and pollution.
Indian garden practice
Modern notes on Arali
Oleandrin acts on the heart like digoxin and can cause dangerous heart rhythms.
Kerala temple boards stopped offering oleander flowers in 2024 after a fatal poisoning.
Treatment of poisoning may need anti-digoxin antibodies in hospital.
Arali safety
Never eat any part of oleander, and do not let children chew the flowers. Do not burn clippings, since the smoke is also toxic. Anyone who has eaten it needs a hospital at once.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows wild along dry riverbeds from the Mediterranean to South Asia.
Few animals eat it because of its toxins.
Hawkmoths and butterflies visit its flowers.
Related plants
Also in Apocynaceae
Questions about Arali
Is oleander poisonous?
Yes. Every part is toxic to the heart.
Is Arali the same as yellow oleander?
No. That is Cascabela thevetia.
Can Arali be grown at home?
Only where children and pets cannot chew it.
Is burning Arali safe?
No. The smoke is toxic.
What should I do if someone eats Arali?
Go to a hospital immediately.
Sources
- Nerium oleander L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q155833 (Nerium oleander)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.