Weed profile: African olive
African olive plants
African olive (left) - European olive (right)
African olive
Olea europaea ssp.cuspidata
African olive is an aggressive woody weed that invades native bushland, creating a dense shady canopy that excludes the growth of native understorey plants. The small black fruits are consumed by birds and spread into bushland areas.African olive is a very long-lived tree and permanently changes the plant diversity and structure of bushland. It is a tropical wild olive that comes from eastern Africa. It is related to the edible European Olive however the fruit is not edible and has no commercial value.
African olive was introduced into Australia as a hedging plant and rootstock for edible olives in the mid-1800s, and has now spread rapidly throughout the Camden-Picton district.
Status
- Declared in NSW under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 (view details)