Native Trees

Native olive — Olea paniculata

Olea paniculata

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

$7.00

Planning a larger planting project? Contact me to discuss bulk pricing and plant availability.

In stock and available to order

Order online first, then we’ll contact you to arrange free pickup from Worongary on the Gold Coast or weekend delivery if eligible. Available options are shown at checkout. For more information, visit our pickup and delivery page.

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.