ENH-578 Noronhia emarginata: Madagascar Olive1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 Introduction A very tough tree well-suited for coastal and seaside locations, Madagascar Olive is an attractive, upright oval, evergreen with six-inch-long, leathery, olive green leaves and a high tolerance for salt and wind. he crown appears to stay well-formed even right up on the coast where it is exposed to salt spray. It reaches a height of 20 feet with a 15 to 20-foot-spread. he inconspicuous but fragrant, small yellow blooms are followed by one-inch-diameter, bright Figure 1. Middle-aged Noronhia emarginata: Madagascar Olive yellow fruits, turning to dark purple, with a sweet, edible, cream-colored lesh, which add to the tree’s ornamental value. he dropping fruit may be undesirable to some people when planted near walks or pavement, but properly located in a bed or lawn is of little concern. General Information Scientiic name: Noronhia emarginata Pronunciation: nor-RAWN-ee-uh ee-mar-jih-NAY-tuh Common name(s): Madagascar Olive Family: Oleaceae USDA hardiness zones: 10B through 11 (Fig. 2) Origin: not native to North America Invasive potential:has been evaluated using the IFAS Assessment of the Status of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas (Fox et al. 2005). his species is not Figure 2. Range 1. This document is ENH-578, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date November 1993. Revised March 2007. Reviewed May 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http:// edis.ifas.ul.edu. 2. Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, former associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or ailiations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean documented in any undisturbed natural areas in Florida. hus, it is not considered a problem species and may be used in Florida. Uses: reclamation; street without sidewalk; deck or patio; screen; specimen; espalier; fruit; container or planter; parking lot island < 100 sq t; parking lot island 100-200 sq t; parking lot island > 200 sq t; sidewalk cutout (tree pit); tree lawn 3-4 feet wide; tree lawn 4-6 feet wide; tree lawn > 6 t wide; urban tolerant; highway median Availability: not native to North America Description Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; alkaline; acidic; well-drained Drought tolerance: high Aerosol salt tolerance: high Other Roots: not a problem Winter interest: no Outstanding tree: no Ozone sensitivity: unknown Verticillium wilt susceptibility: unknown Pest resistance: free of serious pests and diseases Height: 20 to 25 feet Spread: 15 to 20 feet Crown uniformity: irregular Crown shape: oval, vase Crown density: dense Growth rate: slow Texture: coarse Foliage Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite (Fig. 3) Leaf type: simple Leaf margin: entire Leaf shape: obovate, elliptic (oval) Leaf venation: pinnate, brachidodrome Leaf type and persistence: evergreen, broadleaf evergreen Leaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches Leaf color: green Fall color: no color change Fall characteristic: not showy Flower Flower color: yellow Flower characteristics: not showy Figure 3. Foliage Fruit Fruit shape: round Fruit length: .5 to 1 inch Fruit covering: leshy Fruit color: purple, yellow, green Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; showy; fruit/ leaves not a litter problem Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: branches droop; not showy; can be trained to one trunk; thorns Pruning requirement: needed for strong structure Breakage: resistant Current year twig color: green, brown Current year twig thickness: thick Wood speciic gravity: unknown Culture Figure 4. Flower Light requirement: full sun, partial sun or partial shade 2 Use and Management Pests and Diseases Growing easily in full sun or partial shade, Madagascar Olive is quite adaptable to a wide range of soils. It works well as a dense screen or windbreak, and can form an ideal specimen or framing tree for landscapes with limited room ater the lower branches are removed. A cluster of trees creates a handsome, informal grouping. his is a tough small tree which is suitable for many locations. Use it to create shade on a patio or grow it in a large, heavy container on a deck. he small size makes it ideal for planting along streets where there are overhead power lines. No pests or diseases are of major concern. Literature Cited Fox, A.M., D.R. Gordon, J.A. Dusky, L. Tyson, and R.K. Stocker (2005) IFAS Assessment of the Status of NonNative Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas. Cited from the Internet (November 3, 2006), http://plants.ifas.ul.edu/ assessment.html. Propagation is by cuttings or seed. 3