Argania spinosa Skeels

A medium sized thorny evergreen tree. The leaves are small, oblong and hairless. They occur in clusters. The flowers are small and yellowish-green. The flowers are on the tips of the stems. The fruit are hard and green. They are like olives. The fruit have a stone with 3 kernels.

A tropical to Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in Southwest Morocco. It suits hot harsh environments and can tolerate brackish water. It can tolerate drought. It can tolerate frost. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 100-500 mm. It can grow in arid places.

The kernels are very high in oil. The fruit are pressed for the oil which has an aroma and is used in cooking. The oil is cold pressed from the fruit. The oil is used like olive oil for cooking, frying and salad dressing. The paste like extract after oil extraction is mixed with honey and used for breakfast.

Can be grown by seedlings.