FNPS Plant Database

Cartrema floridanum

scrub wild olive

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

scrub wild olive

Synonym(s):

Osmanthus megacarpus

Genus species:

Cartrema floridanum

Family:

Oleaceae

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:

Showy Flowers, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Screen plant esp. for sunny, dry sites. Specimen plant where its shiny foliage will be appreciated.

Considerations:

Slow growing.

Availability:

Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- 1Stays wet

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds, Mammals

Bees and other pollinators.

Larger birds and small mammals eat the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby sandhill.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Fruit is edible.

General Comments:

This is a Florida endemic. 

Citations:

Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses)



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( http:s//florida.plantatlas.usf.edu /).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.  https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=5

Request an update