Osmanthus americanus

(L.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex A. Gray

American olive

Oleaceae Edible: Fruit

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Description

An evergreen shrub or small tree. It grows 9 m tall. The trunk is 30 cm across. The bark is grey, thin and scaly. The inner bark is dark red. The crown is oblong. The leaves are opposite and 9-13 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. They are narrowly oval and thick and leathery. They are shiny green above and dull and paler underneath. The flowers are 5 mm wide. They are bell shaped and white. The male and female flowers are usually on separate plants. The flowers are in clusters. The fruit are like olives. They are dark blue and 10-19 mm long. They have a thin pulp and large stone.

Edible Uses

The fruit are softened in brine and eaten like green olives. The flowers are used to add aroma to black tea.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are softened in brine and used like green olives. The flowers are used to add aroma to black tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in moist soils. It can be near riverbanks or as an understorey plant in forests. It grows to 150 m altitude in the southern USA.

Where It Grows

Mexico, North America, USA,

Notes

There are about 32 Osmanthus species.

Also Known As

Devilwood, Wild olive

References (8)

Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 163 (As Osmanthus americana)
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 455 (As Osmanthus americana)
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 593
Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 1826
Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 656

Show all 8 references

Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Syn. fl. N. Amer. 2(1):78. 1878
Tanaka,