Scrub olive occurs in scrubs, sand pine forests
and dry hammocks throughout central Florida. It is an evergreen shrub or small
tree up to 12' high with shiny green, 3-5" opposite
leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous but pleasantly
fragrant, like the related tea olive (O. fragrans). The fruits are
much larger (over an inch in diameter) than the
widespread wild olive or devilwood (O. americana) of the
southeastern United States. (It is typical for scrub
plants to have larger, but fewer, fruits than their
non-scrub relatives.) Our olives are in the same family
(Oleaceae) as the true olive (Olea europaea) of the
Mediterranean region, but for some reason ours haven't
been cultivated for food. You can
grow your own scrub olives with plants from several
native nurseries in central Florida. Put them in full sun
in light, sandy soil. Once established, you won't need to
water them.
Plants of The Florida Scrub 
Scrub olive occurs in scrubs, sand pine forests
and dry hammocks throughout central Florida. It is an evergreen shrub or small
tree up to 12' high with shiny green, 3-5" opposite
leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous but pleasantly
fragrant, like the related tea olive (O. fragrans). The fruits are
much larger (over an inch in diameter) than the
widespread wild olive or devilwood (O. americana) of the
southeastern United States. (It is typical for scrub
plants to have larger, but fewer, fruits than their
non-scrub relatives.) Our olives are in the same family
(Oleaceae) as the true olive (Olea europaea) of the
Mediterranean region, but for some reason ours haven't
been cultivated for food. You can
grow your own scrub olives with plants from several
native nurseries in central Florida. Put them in full sun
in light, sandy soil. Once established, you won't need to
water them. 
