Olive Tree – Olea europaea

I have just been bought a standard olive tree (Olea europaea) for my birthday from my sister. I have always wanted an olive tree so I’m really pleased.

The Olive originally comes from the Mediterranean so are used to dry, hot conditions and not really suited to the UK climate.

I’m going to move mine into a large, decorative pot and keep it in my conservatory for the winter. When the weather warms up I’ll take it outside and let it sit on my south facing patio for the summer, bringing it indoors again next October.

The Olive Tree is an attractive, slow-growing evergreen tree originally from the Mediterranean and therefore tolerant of dry, hot conditions. Also, it can reach an age of more than 2000 years!

It forms a neat, rounded shaped tree with a dense spreading crown of silver-grey leaves and tiny, lightly scented white flowers in the summer. The small round green fruit ripen to black later in the year and are edible.

In the UK the Olive is not fully hardy so need a warm, sheltered spot to survive the winter. Alternatively they can be grown in a large pot and moved into a cool greenhouse or conservatory for the winter months.

Care Instructions: The Olive needs to be watered regularly and fed during the growing period. Prune long sprouts in Spring and July to maintain a good shape. Add organic matter to the soil surface after pruning.