Wild Olive (Forestiera neomexicana)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −23.3 °C
Cultivation
Succeeds in most soils. Flowers are produced in the axils of the previous years leaves.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Easy. Cuttings of mature wood, November to February in a frame or sheltered outdoor bed.
Edible uses
Fruit.
Material uses
Plants growing in the wild are used as indicators of underground water.
Habitat
Dry slopes and ridges below 2000 metres.
Native range
South-western N. America - Texas to New Mexico, west to California.