TreeRM

African olive

Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata 路 Oleaceae 路 also Wild olive, Brown olive

A dense, much-branched evergreen shrub or small tree of 5 to 10 m with grey-green leaves and small inedible black olives spread by birds and foxes. Brought to Australia in the 1800s for hedging and as olive rootstock, it now forms impenetrable thickets across Western Sydney's Cumberland Plain and the Hunter Valley, shading out native understorey. It is a regional priority weed under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 (containment in Greater Sydney, Central Tablelands and Hunter) but not a Weed of National Significance.

Broadleaf evergreenMedium growthFull sunLow water
African olive
Wikimedia Commons, file Starr-090421-6209-Olea_europaea_subsp_cuspidata-fruit_and_leaves-Pukalani-Maui_(24584684079).jpg (see file page for author and licence)

Where it stands

Native

  • 馃嚜馃嚬 Ethiopiasource
  • 馃嚠馃嚪 Iransource
  • 馃嚢馃嚜 Kenyasource
  • 馃嚨馃嚢 Pakistansource
  • 馃嚳馃嚘 South Africa 路 Native (wild olive) per POWO/WCVP range of the subspeciessource

Adapted

  • 馃嚦馃嚳 New Zealand 路 Listed by Weedbusters NZ as a weedsource

Invasive

  • 馃嚘馃嚭 NSW, Australia 路 Regional priority weed: Containment in Greater Sydney, Central Tablelands and Hunter, Asset Protection in North West; should not be bought, sold, moved or released in core areas; not a WoNSsource

Care

Do not plant in eastern Australia. Control before fruiting by hand-pulling seedlings, cut-stump, stem injection or basal bark herbicide; it resprouts from the base after cutting or fire, so follow up for several years. In its African native range it is a hardy, useful shade and firewood tree.

Benefits

Drought tolerantBirdsWindbreakShade

Good for

HedgerowWindbreakScreening

Watch out for

Invasive elsewhereMessy fruit