Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustifolia
formerly Dodonaea angustifolia
sand olive · sandolien, ysterbos (Afr.)
Tough, wind- and drought-resistant sand olive: a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree for hedges and screens.
What’s in the name: Dodonaea: honours Rembert Dodoens, a 16th-century Flemish botanist; viscosa: "sticky"; angustifolia: "narrow-leaved".
“speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee”
— Job 12:8 (KJV), The King James Version of the Bible (Project Gutenberg)
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Sapindaceae
Conservation status
Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia is not a threatened species.
Natural distribution & habitat
Arid to high-rainfall areas in a coastal band from Namaqualand to KwaZulu-Natal, and in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West, north to Mozambique and Zambia.
Size & form
Evergreen shrub, or a small tree to 5 m; can be trained as a tree by removing lower branches.
Flowering
April to August.
Uses in landscaping
- Waterwise gardens; wind-resistant and frost-hardy
- Hedges and screens
Care notes
Easy from seed: collect in autumn, sow in spring in a sandy mix with a little compost and keep moist. Germinates in 2–3 weeks without treatment.
Wildlife value
Dense growth gives birds nest sites; flowers attract butterflies.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustifolia'.