Spurge Olive

Spurge Olive
Spurge Olive
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Cneorum
Species: C. tricoccon
Binomial name
Cneorum tricoccon

Spurge Olive (Cneorum tricoccon) is a small shrub of the family Rutaceae, native to Europe and the Western Mediterranean. Its fruit have no food value.

Cneorum tricoccon reaches an average of 0.6 meters in height and is in leaf all year. The yellowish Spurge Olive flowers present themselves from June to July, and their seeds ripen from August to September. This plant is also hermaphroditic.

Cneorum tricoccon prefers light sandy soils that are common in the Mediterranean and also requires soils that drain particullarly well. Spurge Olive must have considerable sunlight to grow, and often stunts when placed in a lot of shade.

The plant which is nearly round and evergreen in color is rich in tannin and can be used as a source of fuel.