Indian olive
Olea ferruginea

Family: Oleaceae

What it is like

A small evergreen tree. The bark is grey and strips off when old. The leaves are 5-10 cm long. They are reddish underneath and are pointed and leathery. The edges of the leaves curve back slightly. The flowers are small and whitish. They are in clusters 2-4 cm long in the axils of leaves. The fruit are black when ripe and 8 mm long. There is one seed inside. The fruit are oily.

There are over 40 Olea species. It is used as a rootstock to graft olive on to.

Where it is found

A subtropical plant. It grows in the drier Western Himalayas. It grows up to 2,400 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Asia, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Pakistan

How it is used for food

The fruit are edible raw, and also pickled and used as a source of oil. The leaves are used for tea.

It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Fruit, fruit-oil, leaves - tea

How it is grown

In NW Pakistan fruit are harvested in September.

Its other names

Local names

Bairbanj, Kahu, Kan, Kao, Kaphlainj, Khuna, Koo, Kowo, Shawan, Showan, Shwawan, Zaitun

Synonyms

Olea cuspidata Wall. ex Don.;