But, more about that on some other day. With plants beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, as what is, in the opinion of one, an ugly, stunted unbalanced eyesore, has character and visual appeal to another. Some experts believe its native range includes the Florida Keys, but others believe this particular species was introduced later by foreigners. The species was originally brought to the Miami area from Jamaica by a Catholic priest some time in the early 1900s. As this crop developed, David Sinclair noticed a tree growing differently from the rest the crop, which was not an uncommon finding when dealing with this genus. By the mid 70’s, although commercial demand for the Black Olive Tree remained strong, the nursery profession had a love/hate relationship with it. We do not trim our Shady Ladies any, above 4-5 ft from the ground. Generally these trees will reach a mature height ranging from 20 to 80 feet, develop strong, sturdy, large diameter trunks that are covered by a thick, dense gray, deeply fissured bark. Some experts believe its native range includes the Florida Keys, but others believe this particular species was introduced later by foreigners. Being highly resistant to insects and fungi, it is sometimes used for house posts or bridge timbers. Only attempt to grow the tree in USDA hardiness zones 10B through 11. The caterpillar of the Galeria Moth, Characoma nilotica will sometimes feed on the flowers in the spring, this was once considered to be a major fault of the Black Olive Tree, but that was back in the days when many believed the only good bug was a dead one. What is simply too much work and bother for one gardener is a labor of love for another. However, the species is extremely difficult to propagate from vegetative cuttings, and a significant number of seedling grown trees are not ultimately marketable due to significant differences in mature height, growth habit and speed of growth. Bucida buceras is a tree in the Combretaceae family. The crop of starter plants produced from this seed was sold to David Sinclair at Sinclair Landscape Nursery in Miami. It is known by a variety of names in English, including bullet tree, black olive tree, gregorywood (or gregory wood), Antigua whitewood, and oxhorn bucida. But there was something about that one tree that piqued his interest. These regions encompass southern California, parts of Hawaii and the southernmost tip of Florida. It is known by a variety of names in English, including bullet tree, black olive tree, gregorywood (or gregory wood), Antigua whitewood, and oxhorn bucida. The wood is dense, heavy and very close grained, and is favorite choice of boat builders. However, better to try one and see if you agree Buy Shady Lady Black Olive. The tipping of that scale between good and bad is subjective and most often little more than the opinion of the observer, as well as the simple matter of how bad do you want it? The story of how the Black Olive Tree came to be introduced into Florida, and then evolved to be one of the most popular and widely used street and urban trees in South Florida is an interesting bit of horticultural history, and offers a great example of the gardening axiom that should always be kept in mind when choosing plants is that no choice will be always be perfect in every way on every day. Small smooth oval leaves that emerge a light medium green and mature to a deep, slightly blue toned green grow along unusual zig-zagged formed stems. One is nice and fully round and the other was tall and more rectangular oval shape but I have not done any trimming on the inside.. Is that really necessary to do other than wind breakage? Required fields are marked *, It’s All About Balance – The Story of Black Olive Tree. Bucida buceras is a tree in the Combretaceae family. There were also Bucida buceras trees growing in the surrounding area. Frequently it is as if the universe somehow gets tuned in to our problems with plants, as the solutions often present themselves serendipitously. In short, as trees goes, the Shady Lady Black Olive is a fine example of balance, and while not perfect in every way, in the right setting, she certainly brings an elegance, style and grace to a tropical landscape that by far outweighs her few faults…..in my humble opinion (of course). Harvesting is now restricted or prohibited in many locations. Your email address will not be published. Once a species catches on in the landscape trade, growers begin, of course, to study and learn how to efficiently produce it in large numbers as quickly as possible, but secondly they begin to observe the growth habit and features closely in hopes of spotting cultivars with different, stronger or more desirable features than the original species in general. One of the driving motivations for this project is preserving those stories and passing them on. This was the best and most informative article that we read on our Shady Ladies. He planted a pair at his church. They have been planted for 5 years now and are 25 to 30 ft tall. The number of Black Olive Trees growing in South Florida stands as a living testament to the power of sharing and community. It is highly tolerant to salt, insects, fungus, wind, and air pollution. As it would turn out the tree that David Sinclair would ultimately come to name the superior and improved cultivar Shady Lady, and it would eventually become the industry standard for the popular species. As a whole the species is highly salt tolerant and puts down deep anchoring roots making it able to endure high winds with little damage. We love all plants here, and have rarely met a plant that we could not find some likeable feature in. Before this tree gained commercial popularity for ornamental use, its primary use was as a lumber source. The Black Olive Tree (Bucida buceras) is a tropical tree native to Central America and the Caribbean. However, it was primarily harvested from the wild and not cultivated for that use. [3][4] Its roots are able to dig up paving stones and damage foundations. For example the effort necessary to protect those gorgeous, exotic, but sensitive to the cold, tropical blooming treasures from freezing during the winter, or the replacement of seasonal annuals when they pass their prime. Another favorite use of the Shady Lady Black Olive is for Bonsai.