Olive Trees for the Sacramento Valley

photo credit:Tom Moyer 

Olea europaea, Olive Tree

Origin: Mediterranean

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.

19th Century Illustration Credit: From Wikipedia

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!
Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Great Tree for Sacramento Landscapes

photo credit:takomabibelot

Koelreuteria paniculata, California Rain Tree

Origin: China, Japan

Character: slightly open structure, with a broad, dome-shaped canopy.

Growth Habit: moderate fast, grows to 35' by 30 - 35'

Uses: accent, lawn tree, shade tree, street tree

Description: eliptically shaped leaves are pinately compound, with leaflets approx 1 - 2" and entire leaf, 12". The compound leaves are alternately arranged on branches. The margins are coarsely serrated. Medium dark leaves turn yellow-orange in the fall. Large showy yellow panicles in the early to midsummer are followed by red - buff papery seed capsules in the fall.

Environmental Preferences: Prefers moist soil, and partial/filtered  to full sun.. Can take drought once established, smog, heat, wind and seacoast conditions.

Cold Hardiness: hardy, Sunset zones 2 - 21

Propagation: seed, semi-hardwood cuttings

Comments: deep roots make this a good choice for planting in a lawn or as a street tree, while fall color and showy flowers make it a great accent tree. This tree is available thru the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!
Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.