Common Name: African Olive

General Information

Olea europaea cuspidata is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or a small tree with a dense, rounded crown; it usually reaches a height of 5 - 10 metres, but occasional specimens can be up to 18 metres tall[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild as a source of food, medicines and wood for local use. It is planted for reforestation and is also grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern and southern Africa, through Arabia to Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal and China.

Habitat

Widely distributed in its native range of southern Africa occurring in a variety of habitats, usually near water, on stream banks, in riverine fringes, but also in open woodland, among rocks and in mountain ravines[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moist to semi-arid areas of the tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,700 metres[]. Plants grow best in areas where the mean annual temperature falls within the range 22 - 28°c, though they can tolerate 15 - 35°c[]. Plants can resist some frost - dormant plants are killed by temperatures of -4°c, whilst young growth can be damaged at -1°c[]. Prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,000mm, tolerating 300 - 1,500mm[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in most soils so long as they are well-drained[]. Plants can succeed in soils of low fertility[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, but tolerates 6 - 8.5[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. A much thinner flesh, but it can be used in the same way as olives[]. The ovoid, thinly fleshy fruit is about 10 x 8 mm tapering to a sharp tip, dark brown or black when mature[].

An oil is extracted from the seed[]. This oil would doubtless take an important place in the oil trade were it procurable in large quantities, for it is of as good quality as the ordinary olive oil[, ].

The leaves are soaked in a pot containing local brew to make it strong[].

The dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[].

Medicinal

A root or bark decoction is used as a remedy for malaria[, ].
The bark is used to refresh the mouth and to cure mouth infections[].

A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea and toothaches[].
The leaves are used to make a coffee that is also a blood purifier[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is planted for reforestation[]. Its high drought tolerance suggests that it is a good candidate for reforestation in semi-arid zones[].

Other Uses

The branches are used to make toothbrushes[].

The heartwood is dark brown or red-brown to yellow with dark figuring; the sapwood is light brown. The wood is fine-textured, hard, heavy, close and even grained. It polishes and finishes well. It is highly prized for turning, and is often used to make ornaments such as wall clocks and vases. Jewellery items such as beads, brooches and bangles are also made from wild olive wood. Although the tree does not usually produce sawable logs or branches, there are still several furniture makers that, with great effort produce furniture from the limited quantities of timber. The wood is also used locally for building poles, flooring, carvings, pestles and fencing posts[, , ].
The wood is used as a fuel and to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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