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Trees

Notelaea ligustrina

New South Wales ironwood

An evergreen tree, up to 12m high in its native range but often smaller in cultivation, with narrowly lance-shaped, dull green leaves. Clusters of small, pale yellow-green flowers are produced in spring. These are followed by berries, which vary in colour from white to red to purple

Other common names

Tasmanian ironwood
Victoria bastard olive

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Ultimate height

8–12 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

4–8 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Oleaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives in humus-rich, well-drained loam, in partial or full shade. Suitable for mild areas where it could be useful for woodland planting or screening

Propagation

Propagate by seed, or by semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Low Maintenance
Hedging and screens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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