Olinia emarginata – Mountain hard pear – Berghardepeer – Uqudu

If you are looking for a unique tree that will bring something special to your garden, Olinia emarginata is a perfect choice!

Also known as the Mountain hard pear, Olinia emarginata is an evergreen tree with a dense roundish crown. It attains a mature height of up to 20m when growing conditions are favourable. This tree is endemic to Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Drakensberg, and Gauteng, where it is fairly widespread. It grows naturally on mountain slopes, evergreen forest patches, and wooded stream banks.

The dark green leaves are glossy on top and dull underneath. They are opposite, simple with smooth margins and roundish tip which has a prominent notch. The flaking bark reveals orange areas giving the tree a mottled appearance. From October to January, the Mountain hard pear produces small slightly fragranced pale to dark pink flowers.  These appear in loose, axillary heads that are usually more than half as long as the leaves. After flowering, the tree bears clusters of small, round fruit which turn red in autumn, and hang on the tree until well into winter.  The flowers and fruits attract insects and birds to the garden.

Although it is slow growing, the Mountain hard pear has been reported to be one of the best tree species for small gardens. Its neat growth habit makes it an ideal street tree. The dense crown made up of small leaves makes this tree effective for screening and windbreaks. Because of its non-invasive root system, Olinia emarginata is suitable for container planting. This tree is quite frost-hardy but cannot survive drought.