Red Olive-berry, Red Olive-plum, Scarlet Olive-wood
Elaeodendron australe

Family: Celastraceae

What it is like

A tall shrub or small tree. It grows 5-10 m high and spreads 3-5 m wide. The bark is dark brown and wrinkled. The young shoots are bright green and shiny. The leaves are 4-11 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The leaves are dark green and shiny above and paler underneath. They are thick and leathery. The edges can have teeth. The flowering groups are 2-5 cm long and in the axils of leaves. The flowers are 0.4-0.6 cm across. They are greenish. Male and female flowers are separate. The fruit is fleshy with a hard stone inside. It is 1.2-1.6 cm long and oval and bright red or orange.

There are about 40 Elaeodendron species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in drier rainforests and moist open forest in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. It can grow in tropical, subtropical and temperate locations. It needs a well drained soil. It is damaged by frost or drought. Adelaide Botanical Gardens. Melbourne Botanical gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit ?

How it is grown

Plants are grown from fresh seed. They take about 6 months to germinate. It can be grown from cuttings.

Plants grow quite quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cassine australis (Vent.) Kuntze; Cassine integrifolia (Tratt.) Domin.; Elaeodendron integrifolium (Tratt.) Sweet; Portenschlagia australis (Vent.) Tratt.; Portenschlagia integrifolia Tratt.;