Wild Olive Tree

Olea europaea ‘Africana’ is a hardy, evergreen tree which is a subspecies of the cultivated olive but is valued more for its resilience, ecological importance, and ornamental qualities than for fruit production. Naturally forms a bushy, multi-stemmed shape, but can be pruned into a single-trunked tree, and has small, narrow, grey-green leaves with a leathery texture; similar in shape to the cultivated olive but smaller and less silvery. It has small, creamy-white, and fragrant flowers, blooming in spring to early summer and produces small, oval, dark purple to black fruit, similar to olives, but not typically used for eating due to their small size and bitterness.