Cneorum tricoccon
Spurge Olive
a perennial woody evergreen member of the Cneorum genus in the family Cneoraceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Cneoraceae
- Genus
- Cneorum
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 0.6 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Purgative, rubefacient[7].
- Product or use
- Purgative
- Product or use
- Rubefacient
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Used as a fuel[7]. The plant is rich in tannin[7].
- Product or use
- Fuel
- Product or use
- Tannin
Environment
- Range
- Europe - W. Mediterranean.
- Habitat
- Rocky, usually calcareous slopes[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow in a greenhouse from late winter to mid summer[3]. Only just cover the seed and keep moist. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 months at 20°c[3]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame. Overwinter in frost-free conditions[5].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a sunny position and a lightish soil[1]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c according to one report[4], whilst another says that they are not hardy at Kew although they succeed outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[2]. However, a shrub on a sunny gentle slope at Kew was 60cm tall in 1989 (planted in 1981?) and produced viable seed[K].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00
Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202