Herb: Wild Olive


Latin name: Forestiera neomexicana


Synonyms: Adelia neo-mexicana, Forestiera neo-mexicana, Forestiera pubescens glabrifolia


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Edible parts of Wild Olive:

Fruit. Although only 4 - 8mm long, it has been suggested as a substitute for the true olive, Olea europaea.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Dry slopes and ridges below 2000 metres.

Other uses of Wild Olive:

Plants growing in the wild are used as indicators of underground water.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Easy. Cuttings of mature wood, November to February in a frame or sheltered outdoor bed.

Cultivation of Wild Olive:

Dry slopes and ridges below 2000 metres.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Forestiera neomexicana:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.