Editing Galveston, Texas (section)

===Oleander City===
[[File:Original Oleander Planting in Galveston.jpg|thumb|The first Oleander in Galveston, planted in 1841]]
Since the early 20th century, Galveston has been popularly known as the 'Oleander City'<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000034503 |title=Oleanders...<!-- ellipsis in the original -->a must in Brenda's Garden! |publisher=guidrynews.com |date=May 1, 2011 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801182850/http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000034503 |archive-date=August 1, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> because of a long history of cultivating ''[[Nerium oleander]]'', a [[subtropical]] evergreen shrub which thrives on the island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wintertexansonline.com/galveston_s_oleander_festival.htm |title=Galveston's Oleander Festival |publisher=WinterTexans Online |access-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817082340/http://www.wintertexansonline.com/galveston_s_oleander_festival.htm |archive-date=August 17, 2010|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Oleanders are a defining feature of the city; when flowering (between April and October) they add masses of color to local gardens, parks, and streets. Thousands were planted in the recovery following the Hurricane of 1900 and Galvestonians continue to treasure the plant for its low water needs, tolerance of heat, salt spray and sandy soils.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://oleander.org/oleander-history/ |title=Handbook on Oleanders |author=Richard & Mary Ellen Eggenberger |year=1996 |access-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708072642/http://oleander.org/oleander-history/ |archive-date=July 8, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This makes them especially resistant to the after-effects of hurricanes and tropical storms. Galveston is reputed to have the most diverse range of Oleander cultivars in the world, numbering over 100, with many varieties developed in the city and named after prominent Galvestonians.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theislandermagazine.com/?p=2611 |title=International Oleander Society |author=Shannon Rowan |work=The Islander Magazine |access-date=July 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730094348/http://theislandermagazine.com/?p=2611 |archive-date=July 30, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2005 the month of May was declared "Oleander Month" by the City of Galveston<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.texashighways.com/the-magazine/item/1614-oleander-festival |title=Oleander Festival |work=Texas Highways |date=July 13, 2012 |access-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728090017/http://www.texashighways.com/the-magazine/item/1614-oleander-festival |archive-date=July 28, 2017 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and there are also Oleander-themed tours of the city exploring the history of the plant on the island. Since 1967 the International Oleander Society has operated in Galveston, which promotes the cultivation of the plant, organizes an Oleander festival every spring and maintains a commemorative Oleander garden in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oleander.org/ |title=International Oleander Society |publisher=International Oleander Society |access-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705170538/http://oleander.org/ |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/oleander-garden-park |title=Oleander Garden Park |publisher=Atlasobscura.com |access-date=July 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728114454/http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/oleander-garden-park |archive-date=July 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>