Olea europaea, Olive Tree
Character: mounding rounded head, usually multi-trunked. Natural form has branches to the ground. Billowy look, not real open.
Growth Habit/Size: moderate, grows to 30' x 30'. Olives can live 1000+ years and will have buttressed trunks with age.
Uses: accent, specimen tree, utility (olives). Give a sense of place to the California landscape.
Leaf & Flower Description: foliage is opposite along branches, elliptical to linear in form. The dark glossy green or grayish and tomentose leaves are approx. 2 - 3" x 1/2". Leaf margins cup downwards. Small, whitish flowers in the spring become the olive fruit in the fall.
Environmental Preferences: hardy, take heat, aridity, and drought to regular water. Tolerates rather than prefers a residential environment.
Cold Hardiness: hardy, Sunset zones 8-9, 11-24
Pests/Diseases: scale, thrips
Propagation: tip cuttings
Comments: Fair Oaks, Placerville, Orangevale and Carmichael at one time were heavy olive producers, so they are often found in local landscapes. Can be a definite mess with seed drop which can also stain. Can be treated to reduce flowering, but this is not 100% effective. Treat when you see bees pollinating the flowers.There are also varieties that are (nearly) fruitless, such as, Swan Hill, Majestic Beauty, Wilsoni and Little Ollie. Field-dug mature trees are available for landscapes that require an established look immediately.
A Word About Olives: olives are bitter and inedible straight from the tree and need to be either water-cured or lye-cured (instructions courtesy of the Boorinakis-Harper Ranch in Auburn). To learn more about the science and industry of olives, visit the UC Davis Olive Center.
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