Ironwood olive
Olea capensis subsp. macrocarpa

Family: Oleaceae

What it is like

A bush or tall tree. It can be 30 m tall. The trunk can be 0.6-1.3 m across. The crown is small and with shiny foliage. The leaves are glossy green above and paler underneath. The edges are often slightly wavy. They occur opposite each other on twigs 1-2 cm long. Leaves are 5-10 cm long and 1.3-3.5 cm wide. They are broadly sword shaped. They taper to both ends. The flowers are creamy-white. They occur in loose sprays at the ends of branches. The fruit is oval and 1.5-2.5 cm long. They have one seed. The fruit is edible. The fruit are dark purple colour when ripe.

There are about 32 Olea species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 1500 m in South Africa. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Australia, Comoros, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten. They need processing.

The fruit are occasionally eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Seeds take up to 18 months to germinate. Seeds should be fresh, and healthy.

Fruiting fluctuates between years. Every 2-7 years large numbers of fruit can be produced. There can be up to 10,000 fruit.

Its other names

Local names

Black ironwood, Bulumtsee, Ironwood, Loliondo, Lolyondo, Mgiwe, Mshio, Olmasi, Ololiondoi, Sasi

Synonyms

Olea hochstetteri Baker; Olea laurifolia Lam.; Olea macrocarpa C. H. Wr.;