Common olive is an evergreen Mediterranean native that transforms any warm garden into a sun-soaked sanctuary. Growing 20 to 30 feet tall with a gracefully rounded crown, this species thrives in USDA zones 8 through 10 and rewards patient gardeners with fragrant white flowers in summer followed by edible fruit. The gnarled trunks and silvery-green foliage become more picturesquely textured with age, and once established, these trees handle drought with remarkable ease. They're survivors that only get more beautiful and productive over time.
Full Sun
Moderate
8-10
360in H x 300in W
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Low
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The common olive's bark transforms from smooth gray when young to deeply gnarled and characterful as the tree matures, giving it architectural presence in the landscape. Its opposite, elliptic leaves are distinctly bicolored, gray-green on top and distinctly silver-green beneath, creating luminous movement in summer light. After fragrant white flowers bloom in loose panicles during June and July, the tree sets edible fruit that rewards years of patient cultivation. Once established, this Mediterranean native drinks little water and asks for nothing but full sun and well-drained soil.
The fruit is harvested both green (before full ripeness) and black (fully mature), then cured in salt or brine for table consumption, producing the distinctive briny olives found in Mediterranean and worldwide cuisines. The mature fruit is also pressed for olive oil, one of the world's most important culinary fats. Beyond eating fresh or in preparations, olives are incorporated into countless dishes across Mediterranean cooking, from martinis to tapenade to salads and stews.
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Transplant container-grown olive trees into the garden in spring after danger of frost passes, choosing a location with full sun exposure and excellent drainage. Space trees 15 to 25 feet apart to allow the rounded crown to develop without crowding.
Harvest olives in late summer through fall by hand or by shaking branches onto tarps, collecting fruit as it reaches desired ripeness. Green olives are picked before full color development for firmer texture and brighter, more peppery flavor, while black olives are harvested when fully mature and have developed deep color. The timing of harvest depends on intended use: earlier picking yields firmer fruit suitable for brining, while later harvest provides riper fruit with higher oil content for pressing.
Prune common olive lightly to shape the rounded crown and remove any crossing or damaged branches. Young trees benefit from light formative pruning to establish structure, while mature trees require minimal intervention to maintain their picturesque form. Remove any dead wood and thin branches if the canopy becomes too dense, being careful not to over-prune, as this Mediterranean native naturally develops attractive gnarled character over time.
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“Olea europaea represents one of humanity's oldest cultivated trees, domesticated in the Mediterranean basin thousands of years ago. This common form has been grown continuously across Mediterranean regions for millennia, shaped by both intentional cultivation and the natural selection pressures of Mediterranean climates. It arrived in California during Spanish colonial expansion and thrived in the dry summers and mild winters of the American West, where it became naturalized and economically significant. The very gnarling and character of its trunks that we admire today is the visual record of centuries of growth and adaptation.”