Thevetia Tree

Thevetia mistakenly shaped as an Oleander bush (above).

Thevetia properly shaped as a small, multi-trunk tree (below).

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The Thevetia tree, also known as "Lucky Nut," is very common throughout the southwest landscape. It has long, waxy green leaves and bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom all year-round. Their flowers so closely resemble Oleanders that they are commonly mistaken for a yellow variety of the shrub.

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Thin, waxy green leaves and yellow flower of a Thevetia

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Wider, dull green leaves and pink flower of an Oleander

But Thevetia is, in fact, a multi-trunk tree that provides an umbrella-shaped canopy of shade. They are so heat-tolerant that they are often planted against walls that get too hot for other plants and trees to survive.