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Forestiera neomexicana - A.Gray.

Wild Olive

Author	A.Gray.	Botanical references	11, 71, 200
Family	Oleaceae	Genus	Forestiera
Synonyms	Adelia neo-mexicana - (A.Gray.)Kuntze. Forestiera pubescens glabrifolia - Shinners.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	South-western N. America - Texas to New Mexico, west to California.
Habitat	Dry slopes and ridges below 2000 metres[71].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit[105, 257]. Although only 4 - 8mm long[227], it has been suggested as a substitute for the true olive, Olea europaea[105, 177, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Miscellany.

Plants growing in the wild are used as indicators of underground water[257].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1, 11, 182]. Requires a sunny position and a well-drained soil[200]. Tolerates dry sites[200]. Flowers are produced in the axils of the previous years leaves[227]. Plants do not fruit well in Britain, probably due to a lack of sunshine[11].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200]. 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[11, 200]. Easy. Cuttings of mature wood, November to February in a frame or sheltered outdoor bed.

Links

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[71] Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[227] Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982 ISBN 0292780206
A readable guide to the area, it contains descriptions of the plants and their habitats with quite a bit of information on plant uses.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Forestiera neomexicana

curtis andrew beckwith Tue Feb 7 2006

hi to all, with learning about the relation of this plant to it's sister the olive, i am initiating a venture to find if forestiera can indeed produce an oil from it's drupes, that is in any way similar to olive oil, as it seems empirically proven that oklahoma is too far north for olea cultivation or at least fruit production, writing from his home beneath tall old pecan trees

Forestiera neomexicana

Alexandre Mon Oct 5 2009

Have anyone any news of this species being a good substitute to true Olive? Maybe they that hybridise? I'm in Quebec so even for me I think it would be difficult to grow Forestiera, but zone 6 is quite near...

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