Popular TreesSelect the right ornamental or fruit-bearing tree for your garden
Photo by : Janet Loughrey .
date back to ancient Greece , Olea europaea trees are one of the oldest cultivated Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the world , prized not only for their flavoursome yield but also for their many ornamental attributes . With their silvery foliage , knobbed tree trunk , and clustering of fragrant white efflorescence in spring , these distinctive trees are beautiful garden focal points in all seasons .
Although they grow good in a sunny Mediterranean climate , like that found along the California slide , it ’s possible to grow olive Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree almost anywhere if you protect them during harsh winters . you could even grow olive trees in containers and make for them indoors before freezing temperature get . midget multifariousness that farm no taller than 6 base are ideal for that purpose .
And if the fruit is n’t of import to you , there are many bootless Olea europaea Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to choose from that offer all the beaut of an olive tree without the mess .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care & Pruning|Growing Indoors|Varieties
OLIVE TREE BASICS
Botanical name:
Olea europaea
Common names:
European Olea europaea tree diagram , common olive tree
Plant type:
Evergreen fruit - heading or fruitless tree
Zones:
Typically 8 - 11 , although some cultivar are hardy down to zone 7 . matured trees that have had a luck to acclimate often have greater cold permissiveness .
Climate requirements:
Olive trees raise best in regions with hot , ironic summer and soft but cool winters . to bear fruit , they need a two - month dormancy period of cool conditions when temperatures are ideally between 40 ° F to 50 ° F. However , colder winter temperatures ( below 20 ° F ) can damage or even kill a tree that is left unprotected .
Exposure:
Full Sunday
Size:
15 to 30 foot tall ; 6 to 8 foundation for midget miscellany
Growth rate:
sluggish , about 1 to 2 feet per class
Flowers:
little creamy snowy and yellow blossom bloom in leaping .
Foliage:
Feather - shaped , with a gray - green upper surface and lighter silverish white underside .
Fruit:
Most fruits ( or drupes ) initiate out unripe and turn a blackish - over-embellished color when fully ripe , but they variegate widely in sizing , form , crude oil message , and flavour . Fruitless olive Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cultivars grow flowers but little to no fruit .
Lifespan:
Greater than 150 years , although tree survive longer than 1,000 years are not uncommon .
PLANTING OLIVE TREES
Photo by : Luis Vega / Shutterstock .
When to plant:
The best meter to plant is in spring , after the danger of frost is past . Newly planted trees are susceptible to frost harm during the first winter , so drop planting should only be done in area where winter temperature do not fall below 30 ° F. deflect constitute during the heat of the summer .
Where to plant:
Plant in full sun ( 8 or more hours day by day ) and aside from paved areas to ward off brand from fallen yield ( unless growing a fruitless variety ) . Do not plant in low-down area where standing water accumulates . Olive trees wo n’t survive when farm in waterlogged soil .
How to plant:
poke a hole that is about the same diam as the stem ballock and slimly shallow , so the top of the ancestor egg is just above ground tier . Avoid adding compost or organic subject to the planting jam . To achieve racy root growth , a unseasoned olive tree needs to adapt to its aboriginal land .
Pollination:
Most olive trees are ego - prolific , farm both manly and distaff flush on the same tree . However , you ’ll often increase fruit yield by plant a tree of another multifariousness nearby and allow them to cross pollinate .
OLIVE TREE CARE & PRUNING
Landscape designer : Burl Mostul , Villa Catalina . Photo by : Janet Loughrey .
Watering:
Olive trees are extremely drought liberal once established , but for good efflorescence and fruit development , you should water them regularly throughout the grow season , peculiarly if you go in a live , dry climate .
Soil:
Any well - drained dirt is acceptable . Do not plant in heavy the Great Compromiser soils .
Amendments & Fertilizer:
Olive trees are not impenetrable feeder , and overly fertile dirt can really be a detriment to yield production . However , trees grow in pathetic , mineral - deficient soil may profit from unconstipated feeding with a well - balanced fertilizer with a N substance of at least 10 percentage . To husband soil moisture and inhibit weed growth , apply a bed of constitutive mulch around the tree , place it a few inches away from the base .
Pruning:
Olive trees answer well to pruning , but the extent of pruning and the method you use often bet on whether your master goal is to boost fruit production or improve aesthetics . TheMediterranean Garden Societyexplains how to cut back young trees to the desired shape , rejuvenate older tree , and selectively prune mature trees for better fruit growing and easier harvesting . To keep your tree healthy , also remove dead or diseased branches and rationalise away any sucker that develop at the base of the tree diagram .
Keep in mind that olive trees bring about fruit on the previous twelvemonth ’s branch , so if fruit is desire , only prune lightly to open up up the canopy and increase light incursion .
Harvesting olives:
you could reap olives while they are still dark-green or after they fully ripen in late fall , depending on how you plan to use them . Most freshly peck olives ( even those that are amply ripe ) are very bitter and will need to be cured before feed , either by brining or by Lord’s Day drying .
Like apple Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , Olea europaea trees are alternating carriage , so do n’t be surprised if your tree diagram produces a bumper crop of olive one class and a poor crop the next . Young Olea europaea trees may not begin bearing optimum fruiting until 4 - 5 year , and will increase from there .
Diseases and pests:
Watch out for verticillium wilt disease , olive fruit flies , olive air mile , and black scale . The olive yield fly is the most serious pest of fruit - bearing tree and can completely damage an olive harvest by laying its eggs just under the cutis of the yield . ( See more information on olive yield flies fromUniversity of California Agriculture . )
GROWING OLIVE TREES INDOORS
Potted olive Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can be moved indoors in cold climates . pic by : Mira Drozdowski .
If you live in a cold climate where an Olea europaea tree wo n’t survive outdoors during the winter , growing your tree in a container that you may move indoors is a great choice ( although your tree is unlikely to contain yield ) . Here are tip for growing an Olea europaea tree diagram successfully indoors :
VARIETIES OF OLIVE TREES
MISSION OLIVE
( Olea europaea‘Mission’)Zones:8 - 11Height / Spread:25 to 30 metrical foot marvellous and wideNamed for the San Diego missionary post where it was first introduce , this pop shade tree and specimen plant , featuring a blanket canopy of argent foliation and a sculptured multi - trunk form . The fruit can be harvest when green or black and is popular for enjoyment in cold - press olive oil .
MANZANILLO OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Manzanillo’)Zones:8 - 10Height / Spread:25 to 30 metrical foot tall and wideLike the Mission Olea europaea , this tall shade tree is common in California landscapes with its classifiable twisted trunk . The large , heavy European olive tree are the most rough-cut greenish mesa Olea europaea in the U.S. For smaller garden , try ‘ Haas Improved Manzanillo ’ , with arching branches on a more compact form ( up to 15 foot ) .
MAJESTIC BEAUTY® FRUITLESS OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Monher’)Zones:8 - 11Height / Spread:25 to 30 feet improbable , up to 25 feet wideA peachy terrace plant or garden tree that does not produce messy yield . Can also be planted near walkway , private road , entree and other in high spirits - dealings areas without concern for oily stain . Small , narrow , hoar - unripened farewell give it an airy appearance .
SWAN HILL FRUITLESS OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Swan Hill’)Zones:8 - 11Height / Spread:25 to 30 feet improbable and wideAnother vain variety that flower in spring , like a fruiting European olive tree , but releases almost no pollen . Since the tree does n’t put energy into making fruit , it produces a slow canopy of foliage and grows faster than most fruiting Olea europaea trees .
picayune Ollie ® dwarf olive . Photo by : Linda Hagen .
LITTLE OLLIE® DWARF OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Montra’)Zones:8 - 11Height / Spread:6 to 8 feet magniloquent and widePrized for its dense foliage and mounded bush - similar form , this midget non - fruiting loan-blend can be clipped and sheared to create formal hedging or topiaries or educate as a single - trunk specimen for set in containers or along walkway . Exceptionally heat , drought , and saltiness tolerant .
ARBEQUINA OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Arbequina’)Zones:7 - 11Height / Spread:15 to 20 feet magniloquent , 8 to 12 foot wideA beautiful Spanish variety from Catalonia , with a tears figure and stocky wont . The fruits are small but fleshy and have a mild , fruity flavour and gamy oil subject . One of the most inhuman - tolerant varieties .
ARBOSANA OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Arbosana’)Zones:8 - 10Height / Spread:12 to 15 feet marvellous , 12 to 20 feet wideBecause of its small size of it and high yield , this semi - dwarf cultivar from Spain is a favorite among growers who want to reap large European olive tree crop in special garden space . One of the earliest to stomach yield , often a yr or two after plant .
FRANTOIO OLIVE
( O. europaea‘Frantoio’)Zones:8 - 11Height / gap : Up to 20 metrical unit tall and wideThis elegant Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree from Tuscany has been around for centuries and produces one of the most highly acclaimed olive oils in the world , characterise by its wonderfully fruity flavor and aroma . It ’s also a beautiful landscape plant , featuring a broad , airy canopy of striking silverish - gray foliation .
