Native olive — Olea paniculata

Olea paniculata

Food for native birds Host plant for butterflies and insects Shelter for wildlife Resilient garden plant

$8.00

In stock and ready for local pickup or delivery

Pickup from Worongary or delivery across the Gold Coast and nearby areas. Delivery options are shown at checkout.

Plant profile

At a glance

The essentials for finding the right garden position.

Mature size: Height: 8–20 m · Width: 4–8 m
Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water: Dry, Moist
Soil: Loamy, Clay, Rocky
Drainage: Well-drained
Vegetation type: Rainforest
Plant lifespan: Long-lived perennial
Plant form: Trees

Plant ratings

A quick guide to this plant’s value for wildlife and the garden.

Bird food value
Host plant value
Pollinator value
Shelter & habitat value
Flower display
Garden resilience

About this plant

A glossy-leaved rainforest tree with sprays of small cream flowers and oval blue-black fruit. It makes a useful long-lived canopy or screening tree for larger gardens and provides excellent seasonal food for fruit-eating birds.

Image credits:
Mature image: l9d via iNaturalist — CC0 1.0
Feature image: Mark Marathon via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0

More plant details

Garden uses: Bird-attracting tree, rainforest garden, shade tree, screening, restoration and large-property planting.
Wildlife value: Blue-black fruit is eaten by fruit-doves, pigeons, parrots, bowerbirds and other rainforest birds. Reported as a food plant for native butterfly larvae and supports associated insects. Small flowers provide a useful insect resource, although they are not showy. A mature evergreen crown provides excellent refuge, perching and movement habitat.
Flowering and fruiting: Many small cream flowers are carried in branched panicles, followed by oval blue-black fruit that commonly ripens from autumn into spring.
Growth habit: Medium to large evergreen tree with a rounded to open crown; indicative garden size 8–20 m × 4–8 m.
Cautions: Can become a large tree in favourable conditions. Do not confuse it with introduced African olive; purchase verified native nursery stock.