Scientific Name:
Olea europaea
Pronunciation:
OH-lee-uh your-oh-PEE-uh
Common Name:
hardy olive
Family Name:
Oleaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous, Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves silvery green, oblong; flowers small, white, feathery; drupes green and may turn red or purple to black, oval, most 1-3cm long. Winter ID: buds opposite on four angled stem; immature olives may be present.
Habit:
Irregular, Upright
Form:
Oval - horizontal, Vase
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
5 - 7m
Mature Spread:
7 - 10m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe (Switzerland)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Small garden/space, Summer interest, Urban agriculture
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include O. 'Eddy's Winter Wonder' (on campus), O. 'Arbequina', and O. 'Wilsonii' (fruitless).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green, Silver / Grayish
Colour in Fall:
Green-yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblong
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
4-10 x 1-3cm, waxy
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
arise in axils of previous year's wood
Fruit Type:
Drupe, Edible
Fruit Colour:
Green, Purple, Red, Black (Can vary with cultivar)
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible, Fruit may not mature in local climate and some cultivars are fruitless
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Propagation:
Hardwood cuttings
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
