The toxic Cascabela Thevetia is a widespread decorative shrub native to Mexico and Central America. It shares an ancestor with Nerium oleander, earning it the popular name yellow oleander. In the West Indies, it is also known as a fortunate nut. It grows aggressively, forming thickets that trample native plants and disrupt successional cycles, especially in low-lying places and near watercourses. 

The plant is also exceedingly poisonous; ingesting any part can kill humans and other animals. It has been designated as an invasive species and a noxious weed in East Timor, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Australia, Anguilla, Cuba, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Fiji, and other Pacific island nations. It is now included in the Global Invasive Species Database.

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Cascabela thevetia: Quick facts

Cascabela Thevetia: Physical description

Cascabela Thevetia is an evergreen shrub or a small tree that typically grows to a height of 4 to 8 metres. The linear, 13-15 cm long leaves are grouped in spirals. Flowers are funnel-shaped, brilliant yellow, and spirally twisted. The fruits have a diameter of 4-5 cm, are fairly spherical, and are slightly meaty. The fruits, which are initially green in colour, become black as they ripen. 

Cascabela Thevetia: Cultivation

The Cascabela plant is quite easy to cultivate and multiply. The plant thrives in either direct sunlight or light shade. It loves a fertile, well-drained loam with added leaf mould, yet it may also grow in poor and dry soils. Additionally, the plant may tolerate somewhat salinised soils. Established plants can withstand drought. 

Because of their shallow roots, the plants should be placed in areas that are shielded from severe winds. Young plants’ stem tips are pinched off to promote a bushy habit, while mature plants are trimmed to shape and control size after blooming or right before the growth season. In tropical climates, the plant may blossom and bear fruit all year round. Long after they are mature, the fruits hang on the plant.

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Cascabela Thevetia: Medicinal uses

• The plant is reported to have a variety of therapeutic effects in various areas. In tropical Asia and America, the plant is frequently employed in household medicine. 
• Traditional uses of this plant include the treatment of amenorrhea, malaria, jaundice, haemorrhoids, constipation, migraines, and skin conditions. 
• A variety of cardiac glycosides make up the majority of the plant’s medicinally significant constituents. Peruvoside has been studied the most out of these glycosides. 
• Peruvoside can successfully cure all types of cardiac insufficiency, according to large-scale clinical studies involving 1,600 patients.

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