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Specializing in indigenous trees, aloes and succulents

Olienhout (Olea europaea sub Africana)
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Olienhout (Olea europaea sub Africana)

Sales price R 65,00
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Product Description
Olive wood ( Olea europaea subspecies cuspidata ) is a tree that is widespread in South Africa . It is a medium-sized tree but exceptionally grows up to 18 m tall. The olive tree is a subspecies of the well-known olive tree ( Olea europaea ), which until recently was considered a separate species ( Olea africana ) and is still mentioned as such in many sources. It is suspected that the olive, which has been cultivated for millennia, may have been cultivated from this subspecies.
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Etymology 

Onshore is the tree still as oliewen- or oleunho ut known that the old Dutch olijvenhout< span> ( Olievenhout expressed) can be traced.  In turn, olive< span> is a loanword from the Latin < span>olīva , from the Greek&nbs p;ἐλαίς (di elais), an olive tree, and ἐλαία (di elaia). An Indo-Europ ean etymology is missing for the even older ἐλαίϝα (di elaiva) and Mycenaean elaiwa , and a Middle Eastern or other origin has been suggested.

Nature and growth 

The hardy tree grows well in dry areas and requires little water& nbsp;. The tree is widespread in Africa&nbs p;and in drier parts it is mostly found near water. Olive trees usually grow about 5 to 10 m high, but can reach a height of 18 m in exceptional cases. Due to the beautiful shape of the species, it is also a popular garden plant, but it grows relatively slowly. The trees are well resistant to frost and drought.

Praise 

The leaves  are simple and opposite and are glossy green& nbsp;at the top and silvery&n bsp;, gold or brown  ;at the bottom. The leaves are relatively long and narrow. The young leaves are dark green above and much denser below, but as they age they become dull gray-green. The underside of the leaves is covered with a dense layer of silver or gold-colored scales. The leaf margin is nice and rolls slightly downwards.

Flowers and vegetables 

Flowering time is from October& nbsp;to February . The flowers are borne in inconspicuous heads, are green to white and smell very pleasant. The fruit grows up to 10 mm long  and turns black&n bsp;when ripe. They are edible but bitter. The fruits are about 1 cm long and dark purple to black when ripe. Although relatively bitter, they are eaten by large numbers of birds as well as humans.

Wood 

The olive tree in South Africa is especially known for the very good quality wood it produces. It is strong, hard, durable and heavy and resistant to termites&n bsp;and wood borers. The spindle wood is very light, while the heartwood is dark yellow to reddish brown and has a very nice grain. It is very suitable for making furniture in general and specifically for turning.

Quite a few beautiful large olive trees used to be found along the Orange River , but today there are few of them left because most were cut down and used for the manufacture of furniture. For a number of years there was a small industry around the trees in that area. In addition to its value for furniture wood, olive wood is also a good firewood and was often used as fence posts, especially in the past. The olive tree is considered a valuable food tree in the livestock areas where it occurs.

 

For more information, find source: https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olienhout