OLEAEUROPAEA ( olive tree )

Olive trees are Mediterranean and ancient evergreen trees with grey-green leathery leaves. Olive trees are a symbol of peace, wealth, wisdom and vitality. Olea europea is hardy and easy to care for but protect from hard frost (below -5°C). They prefer a sunny and sheltered position. This much-branched evergreen tree varies in size from 2 to 15 metres (7 to 50 ft) high. The leaves have an opposite, decussate arrangement, and are entire, 3 to 7 centimeters (1.2 to 2.8 in) long and 8 to 25 millimeters (0.3 to 1 in) wide; the apex is acute with a small hook or point, and the base is attenuate to cuneate.

Leaf margins are entire and recurved, the upper surface is grey-green and glossy, and the lower surface has a dense covering of sill

very, golden or brown scales. Domatia are absent; venation is obvious on the upper surface and obscure on the lower surface; the petiole is up to 10 millimeters (0.4 in) long.

In drier areas, the plant may be less than 1 metres (3 ft 3 in) tall within 5-10 years, though it may still reach sexual maturity at around five to six years when it is a shrub at 4 metres (13 ft)} high. In the right conditions, the plant can reach its full height of 10 to 13 metres (30 to 40 ft) between 8 to 12 years.

Inflorescence and fruit

The flowers are small and inconspicuous, which usually appear in spring. The calyx is four-lobed, about 1 millimetre (0.04 in) long. The corolla is greenish-white or cream; the tube is 1 to 2 millimetres (0.039 to 0.079 in) long; lobes are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) long and reflexed at the anthesis. The two stamens are fused near the top of the corolla tube, with bilobed stigma.

Fruit are borne in panicles or racemes 50 to 60 millimeters (2.0 to 2.4 in) long. The fruit is edible but bitter. The globose to ellipsoid fruit is a drupe, 6 millimeters (0.24 in) in diameter and 15 to 25 millimeters (0.59 to 0.98 in) long; it is fleshy, glaucous to a dull shine when ripe, and purple-black.

Symbolism

Peace. Wealth. Wisdom. Sacred. Vitality. In the book of Genesis, a dove from the ark brought an olive-branch to Noah to show him that it had found land. In Greek mythology the goddess Athena brought the olive tree to Athens. In a contest between Athena and Poseidon on Mount Olympus on who should protect Athens, Athena won by providing the most beneficial gift to the Athenians, the Olive tree. Poseidon created a salt spring. Winners of the ancient Olympic Games were awarded an olive branch. In Rome defeated armies carried the Olive branch as a sign of peace.

How to plant olive trees

If you’re growing your olive tree in a border, dig a hole and add mycorrhizal fungi to help the tree establish quickly. If you have heavy soil then add plenty of grit to aid drainage. If growing in a container or raised bed, prepare a soil-based mix of compost and grit, with added organic matter and nutrients.

Most olive trees are supplied pot grown, so they can be planted at any time of the year, unless the soil is frozen.

It’s possible to grow an olive tree from seed, but this is a long process and when grown, your plant will revert to a wild variety, rather than its parent cultivar. You need heat to get seeds to germinate – sow undercover in a propagator in spring.

Care tips

Olive trees may be drought tolerant, but they need to be kept well-watered, as dry spells during early spring can affect flowering and fruiting. They also need feeding regularly with a liquid feed every two weeks during the growing season.

Position: Preferably full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Watering: Water regularly but sparingly during growing season. Do not overwater, Olives are fairly drought tolerant plants. There is normally no need to water Olive trees during the winter, only make sure the root ball does not dry out. Protect from excess water during the winter period by covering the pot or plant.
Hardiness: Hardy but protect from cold drying winds and hard frost (below -5°C). Mature Olive trees can tolerate short temperature drops down to -8°C but make sure the roots don’t freeze.
Pruning: Prune into shape in spring/summer. Well suited to be clipped into topiary shapes such as Olive standards.
Soil: Well-drained. Fertile. Loam-based. Repot every two to three years.
Feeding: During growing season top dress sparingly with organic fertilizer or with slow release fertilizer granules. There is no need for plant feed during the winter period. Avoid high concentration of fast acting liquid fertilizer.

NOTE:

Olive trees are slow growing and do not need much pruning other than to keep to the desired size and shape. Prune thin branches to allow more light into the Centre, although evergreen, olives do shed leaves as older leaves make way for new growth.

NOW THAT -YOU HAVE KNOWN ALL ABOUT THE PLANT AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT MAKE YOUR ORDER NOW FROM MAUA AND MORE

Maua & More brings you the #oleaeuropaea ( olive tree )

This plant is a subtropical broad-leaved evergreen tree.

It’s an edible fruit, who’s symbol of abundance, glory and peace!!

The tree is tolerant to drought and would make suitable options to areas with limited water availability.

If potted and placed out door, water every other day when the soil is dry to the touch.

Olives thrive in full sun of not less then 6 hours a day.

The tree requires soils rich in nitrogen, potassium minerals. Therefore you can add NPK fertilizers once in a while.

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