Cartrema floridanum
Scrub Wild Olive
Oleaceae
Also known as Osmanthus megacarpus
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Tree | |
| Size: | 15-20 (30) ft tall by 10 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White | |
| Fruit Color: | Black | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen | |
| Noted for: | Aroma, Fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Screen plant esp. for sunny, dry sites. Specimen plant where its shiny foliage will be appreciated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Slow growing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Friends, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Acidic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Birds eat fruit. | |
| Insects: | Bees and other pollinators. | |
| Native Habitats: | Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby sandhill. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | Fruit is edible. | |
| General Comments: | This is a Florida endemic. |