Protecting public health is undoubtedly a priority. Yet decisions affecting the environment must be taken with scientific evidence, calm judgment and respect for urban ecosystems.
While the world watches anxiously as war unfolds in the Middle East, Greece has discovered a new public threat—at least according to the country’s national public health authority, National Public Health Organization: the oleander plant.
A recent recommendation by the organization calling for the blanket removal of oleander (Nerium oleander) from schools, parks and other public spaces has triggered strong concern and reactions among geotechnical scientists and professionals working in urban green infrastructure.
The proposal to uproot such a widely used plant species is not merely a technical decision about landscaping. It represents a choice with significant environmental, economic, social and cultural consequences.
A Plant Embedded in the Greek Landscape
Oleander is a familiar feature of the Greek landscape. It is a native evergreen plant, highly resilient to drought, extreme heat and air pollution.
For that reason, it has long been used extensively along roads, riverbeds, parks and public spaces across the country.
Beyond its aesthetic value, the plant plays several ecological roles. It contributes to soil stabilization, the trapping of airborne particles and the preservation of urban biodiversity.
At a time when climate change and urban overheating have become daily realities, maintaining hardy plant species in cities is critical for their long-term sustainability.
The Question of Toxicity
Of course, it has been known since antiquity that oleander contains toxic compounds, primarily cardiac glycosides.
As the name suggests, these substances can affect heart function.
However, as scientific literature—including the documentation referenced in the recent guidance—shows, cases of poisoning from oleander consumption in Europe are extremely rare. When they do occur, they are typically associated with suicide attempts.
Moreover, thousands of plant species—even edible ones—contain toxic properties that can prove dangerous under certain conditions. One example is broad beans, which can cause severe reactions in individuals with specific genetic conditions.
Economic and Environmental Costs
Another dimension that should not be overlooked is the economic impact of such a policy.
The Panhellenic Union of Geotechnical Professionals and Green Enterprises has correctly pointed out that replacing millions of plants would place a heavy burden on municipal and state budgets.
Oleander is, after all, one of the most affordable and low-maintenance species used in urban planting.
A large-scale removal would also run counter to European policies aimed at climate neutrality, which call not for reducing but expanding urban green spaces by 2030.
Instead of mass eradication, the organization proposes public information and education as more effective solutions than the widespread “desertification” of urban—particularly school—environments.
Science, Balance and Urban Sustainability
Protecting public health remains a fundamental priority.
But environmental decisions must be grounded in scientific evidence, measured judgment and respect for the ecosystems that sustain cities.
Oleander is not a problem to eliminate. Rather, it is part of the solution for building greener, more resilient and more sustainable urban environments.
Spyros Kintzios is Professor and Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens.
