Weed Potential 
subsp. cuspidata		African Olive
As a weed African Olive is highly invasive in regions with a medium to low rainfall appearing in habitats including woodlands, shrubland or in riverine environments and coastal regions including dunes. The plant is tolerant of cold winter temperatures and hot dry summers and exposed positions. 

It can grows most well drained sandy-stony to clay soils but dislikes wet soils. It is slow growing particularly in shaded positions and produce fruit with in 4 -years and can live for 300 years. Trees that have the upper foliage damaged or removed will sucker from the base of the trunk. 

On mass they form thickets that reduce light inhibiting the regeneration of native tree or shrub seedlings and understorey plants. Fruit is produced from autumn to winter and germinates during spring. The seeds are dispersed by birds or animals and in garden waste.  

Control methods include physically digging out seedlings and small plants when the soil is moist ensuring that the roots are removed as the slender trunks snap off easily and the plant re-shoots from the base. 
Fruiting branches should be bagged and destroyed. Plants can be cut and painted on the stems with the sap wood revealed or drilled and injected in the trunk towards the base with a non-selective herbicide, avoid hot dry periods. Follow up applications may be requires as the shrub can re-shoots. Young plants or seedlings may be sprayed with a non-selective herbicide during spring while the plant is actively growing.