SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION Wild olive

By SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Wild olive (Forestiera segregate) is a coastal hammock shrub that grows well in our sandy soils. It can grow to about 10 feet tall and almost as wide. Also known as Florida privet, wild olive blooms in late winter or early spring and attracts bees. The fruits develop before many other plants and become a good source of food for birds. The plants are dioecious, meaning that only female plants will produce fruits, and a male plant close by is needed for pollination. Wild olive is drought and saltwater tolerant and requires little maintenance once established.