Phillyrea latifolia L.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Phillyrea latifolia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/phillyrea/phillyrea-latifolia/). Accessed 2025-11-08.

Family

Oleaceae

Genus

Phillyrea

Synonyms

Phillyrea media L.

Infraspecifics

f. spinosa

Other taxa in genus

Phillyrea angustifolia

Glossary

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Phillyrea latifolia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/phillyrea/phillyrea-latifolia/). Accessed 2025-11-08.

An immense Phillyea latifolia billowing outwards at St Edward's School, Oxford, UK (October 2024). Image Stephen Anderton.

An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 or even 30 ft high; young branchlets and flower-stalks minutely downy. Leaves variable in size and shape, ovate or elliptic-ovate to lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 1⁄2 to 21⁄2 in. long, 3⁄8 to 11⁄2 in. wide, more or less dentate to serrate, serrulate, or entire, pointed at the apex, broadly tapered, rounded, or slightly heart-shaped at the base. Flowers dull greenish white, in short axillary clusters. Fruits blue-black, roundish or orange-shaped, 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 in. long.

Native of the Mediterranean regions of S. Europe, N. Africa, and Asia Minor; cultivated in Britain since the 16th century.

Phillyrea latifolia flowers very early in the spring. University of Cambridge Botanic Garden, 15th March 2014. Image Owen Johnson.

f. spinosa (Mill.) Rehd.

Synonyms
P. spinosa Mill.
P. latifolia var. ilicifolia DC

A form with strongly toothed leaves, 1 to 1{1/2} in. long, ovate and rounded at the base.Two species, P. latifolia L. and P. media L., were recognised in the past but it is generally agreed that specific separation within this variable entity is not possible. Some plants previously named P. media represent the adult stage of P. latifolia. Numerous forms have been described under P. media and that known as f. buxifolia (Ait.) Schelle has small, almost entire leaves.