Common Olive Tree - Olea Europaea - Information Facts

Common Olive Tree - Olea Europaea

The common olive tree Olea europaea is one of the most cultivated trees ever grown. For thousands of years it has been grown for it's fruit in warmer areas of the world. In more recent times due to the change in climate warming in what were once unsuitable locations, it is now being grown in parts of northern Europe. The evergreen olive tree is considered tender and should be grown in frost free regions where the fruit will not get spoilt by the cold air.

Specimen olive trees are known to be over one thousand years old and can be found in Greece and Italy. Distribution of the trees is substantial in Europe where they form large olive groves around the Mediterranean landscape where they look particularly attractive.

Typically olive trees have a short deeply textured grey trunk that broadens with age and may become hollow. The crown is quite open and spreading and can become dense with tough leather-like grey-green leaves which are silvery on the underside. Common olive trees reach a height of about 30ft / 9m.

Racemes of fragrant small white flowers form in late summer. When the fruit, olives,  start to grow, they are green to begin with and oval shaped. Later when the olives are mature and ripe they are black-purple, glossy and have a single stone that is inedible.

Olives are a commercial crop and when the ripe fruit is put into an olive press where it is slowly crushed, the extract is a top grade culinary oil used widely all over the world for cooking and food preparation. There are many grades of olive oil that are specifically produced for their distinctive flavors and for specific uses when cooking.

Olive trees are also popular as small specimens grown in pots and tubs during summer in colder regions. They may grow fruit but it may never ripen unless kept inside a conservatory or greenhouse. Potted specimens have to be overwintered in a warm area where they must be kept free from frost and not let to stand in cold water.

Common Olive Tree - Olea Europaea - Information Facts