Should oleander leaves be composted?

Sometimes when we are out and about in Shropshire & Telford promoting home composting we get asked about some unusual plants which are used for ornamental shrubs and such like Nerium (Oleander).

Now generally speaking you can compost pretty much any plants and even the But Oleander (aka Nerium) leaves are extremely toxic to humans and other animals if ingested, so do not use as a mulch or a compost anywhere that an animal or person might accidently eat some.  The composting process should break down most toxins but due to the severity of this we strongly recommend you dont.  Arguably you could use the compost in areas where people and animals wont come into contact for example. The molecule which is toxic in oleander is extremely large however, so there is no threat that the substance might be taken up by other plants but absolutely never should compost made with oleander should be used in vegetable gardens. .