I have this tree that we had gotten from a family friend. It has been in this container and i am looking to transplant it or plant it outside. I am not sure if this tree will be able to be outside through our winters seeing i live in chicago illinois. I am looking to fndout what kind of tree this is and if it will be able to be planted outside. Any help would be greatly appriecated. It has pink flowers in the summer and strange leaves. I have attached pictures to help you see.
It's Nerium oleander - I'm not sure whether it would be hardy for you in Chicago. You should be aware that this is a very toxic plant, and wear gloves to handle it.
Debby, I second Lorax's ID. In Hawaii the plant is called "Maki die dead" all parts including the smoke if burned is highly toxic!!! If you have kids or animals I'd think twice about keeping it around. Definitely wear gloves. barb
Definitely not hardy outdoors in Chicago - it'll only take temperatures down to about -5°C for short periods. Yes, highly toxic, though you do need to ingest it to get poisoned - just touching the plant won't hurt you, unless you damage the foliage and get the sap on your skin.
Nerium Oleander is widely planted in gardens and streets around here. Some specimens are quite old. This is zone 8 with temperatures dropping to -7°C regularly each winter and to -10°C/12°C every now and then. We also have, on average, 4-5 days with temps below freezing day and night. I am always surprised to see those plants surviving those conditions with basically no damage. Gomero
Here in Texas they recover from -10c though many selections freeze back to the ground. They're all doomed however as Oleander leaf scorch is now nationwide and always fatal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylella_fastidiosa
