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This South African native is very drought tolerant and frost hardy as well. And wind resistant.
Olea europaea subsp. africana is a neatly shaped evergreen tree with a dense spreading crown (9 x 12 m) of glossy grey-green to dark-green foliage. Leaves are grey-green to dark-green above and greyish below. The rough, grey bark sometimes peels off in strips.
Sprays of tiny, lightly scented white to greenish flowers are followed by small, spherical, thinly fleshy fruits (either sweet or sour) which ripen purple-black.
This tree is found in a variety of habitats, often near water, e.g. on rocky hillsides, on stream banks and in woodland (where it can reach 12 m). It is widespread in Africa, Mascarene Islands, Arabia, India to China.
The slow-growing frost, drought and wind-resistant wild olive makes a good shade or screen plant in the home garden, on golf courses and elsewhere. It is popular for bonsai, street planting, and for use at schools, office complexes, and in parks. It is perfect for dry areas where it is an excellent fodder plant for stock and game and it has also been used to stabilize erosion dongas/ditches.
Don't plant it too close to walls, patios or swimming pools, the root system can sometimes be aggressive. Always add plenty of compost to the planting area and apply a thick mulch layer (organic material, like dried leaves) to protect the soil surface. Water moderately throughout the year.
