Olive

Common olive, Cultivated olive, Edible olive, European olive, Lady's oil, Olive oil plant, Sweet oil plant

The olive tree is an evergreen tree or shrub native that grows in a short and squat shape, and rarely grows taller than 8–15 m. The silvery green leaves are small and oblong. The trunk is typically gnarled and twisted. The small white, feathery flowers generally grow on the previous year's wood. The fruit is a small drupe with thin flesh and are smaller in wild plants than in orchard cultivars. Olives are harvested in the green to purple stage. Olives contain a seed commonly referred to in American English as a pit or a rock, and in British English as a stone.

Explore 10 descendants

Olive 'Coratina'

Olea europaea 'Coratina'

Olive 'Delicata'

Olea europaea 'Delicata'

Olive 'Don Carlo'

Olea europaea 'Don Carlo'

Planning

Difficulty

Moderate

Fruiting time

Summer

Harvesting

Olives start out green and eventually all turn black as they ripen. Olives that are harvested when they are still green have a peppery, grassy, or more herbaceous flavour while olives that are harvested when they turn have a milder, buttery flavor.

Propagation

Special features

Geography

Origin

Mediterranean, Asia and Africa

Natural climate

Temperate Interior

Environment

Light

Full Sun

Soil moisture

Dry

Soil type

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil PH preference

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Frost hardiness

Tender

Uses

Personality

Family

Oleaceae

Flower colour

White

Scent

None

Problems

Susceptible to attack from black scale which looks like tiny black scales on the surface of the bark. Native to Africa, black scales can produce up to 2,000 eggs each. Black scales primarily infest already diseased olive trees​