• Proudly serving Homeowners, Strata, Government, Property Managers and Business Owners since 2009
Get A Free Quote

African Olive

Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata · Oleaceae
12m
Mature height
11
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
9
Councils: permit required
African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) growing in Sydney
African Olive · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

African Olive is exempt in some councils and protected in others, and several exemptions carry a height limit. Check the table below against the council for your address before assuming a permit is not needed.

How to identify it

Narrow leathery leaves that are dark grey green above and silvery below. Small cream flowers followed by small purple black fruit. Usually multi stemmed and dense, forming thickets that exclude all light beneath.

Where it grows in Sydney

A major bushland weed across western and southern Sydney, heavy through Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River and Bayside, and present in bushland reserves across the North Shore.

Common problems

  • Forms dense monocultures that eliminate native understorey
  • Spread widely by birds
  • Regrows vigorously from cut stumps
  • Listed as a priority weed in parts of Greater Sydney

What removal involves

Exempt in most councils covered here and often the subject of active bushland control programs. Usually a thicket clearing job rather than a single tree removal. Stump treatment is essential.

Council permit rules, council by council

Status below is for a tree on private land that has passed the council’s size threshold. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas, significant tree registers, biodiversity mapping and conditions of development consent override every exemption shown here.

Council
Status
What it means
Northern Beaches
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Ku-ring-gai
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Hornsby Shire
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
The Hills Shire
Confirm with Council
Council holds its species exemptions in a document rather than on its website, so confirm this species with Council before treating removal as exempt. Size thresholds apply in the meantime. Official rules
Blacktown City
Permit required
Council does not run a species exemption list. A permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold, and each tree is assessed on its own merits. Official rules
North Sydney
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Willoughby
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Lane Cove
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
City of Ryde
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Hunters Hill
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
City of Sydney
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Inner West
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Woollahra
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Waverley
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Randwick
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Bayside
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Georges River
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Strathfield
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Burwood
Confirm with Council
Council holds its species exemptions in a document rather than on its website, so confirm this species with Council before treating removal as exempt. Size thresholds apply in the meantime. Official rules
Canterbury-Bankstown
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as the olive tree I grow for fruit?

It is a different subspecies. The commercial olive is Olea europaea subsp. europaea. Several councils exempt Olea species generally, but African Olive is the one specifically named as an environmental weed.

Commonly confused with

Cotoneaster
Both bird spread bushland weeds that form dense thickets along fence lines

Related species

Broad-Leaf Privet (Ligustrum lucidum) growing in Sydney
Broad-Leaf Privet
Ligustrum lucidum
Small-Leaf Privet (Ligustrum sinense) growing in Sydney
Small-Leaf Privet
Ligustrum sinense
Athel Tree (Tamarix aphylla) growing in Sydney
Athel Tree
Tamarix aphylla
Bamboo (Bambusa and Phyllostachys species) growing in Sydney
Bamboo
Bambusa and Phyllostachys species

Important note on council rules

This encyclopedia is a practical guide for Sydney property owners, not legal advice. Council tree rules change, and exemptions are frequently overridden by heritage listings, heritage conservation areas, significant tree registers, biodiversity mapping, endangered ecological communities and conditions attached to development consent. Always confirm the current rules with your council for your specific address before any tree work begins, or ask us to check it for you.
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata
Also known as
Wild Olive
Family
Oleaceae
Origin
Africa and the Middle East
Mature height
6m to 12m
Canopy spread
5m to 10m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, narrow, grey green with silver underside
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Dense and suckering
Get a Free Quote
Call 0415 463 647

Not sure where your tree stands?

Our arborists work across 20 Sydney councils every week. We will identify the species, check the rules for your address and handle the permit application if one is needed.
Get a Free Quote
Call 0415 463 647

Get A Complimentary Fast Quote