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Olive Trees Buying Guide

Lowe's Editorial Team

By Lowe's Editorial Team
Updated May 7, 2024

Thinking about adding more greenery to your backyard or around your home? Consider planting olive trees in your landscaping or even in a pot. Read on to learn how to pick the right olive tree for your home.

A potted olive tree next to a table.

Why Olive Trees?

Many people plant olive trees because of their beautiful foliage, but you can also enjoy olives if you plant the right tree. If you don’t want olives at all, choose fruitless olive trees, which don’t require you to harvest them or pick fruit.

Olive trees are quite easy to maintain. They need to be planted in an area with relatively dry soil and air. They also need regular watering and sunlight exposure. Olive trees are drought tolerant and can withstand harsher weather conditions.

Their coveted foliage can be used for flower arrangements, to accessorize a wrapped gift or for other décor.

Olive Tree Varieties and Maintenance

Most olive trees require similar maintenance. If you’re planting young mission trees indoors, they should be planted in pots twice as wide as the root ball. The pot should also have plenty of holes in the bottom and be filled with sandy and rocky soil with excellent drainage.

Minimal pruning is necessary during the first few years of growth. Once they’re able to bear fruit, prune them between fall harvest and later spring months. If possible, add organic mulch to regulate moisture levels and prevent weed growth. Use nitrogen fertilizer until the trees are about five years old. These time periods may differ depending on the tree since some trees grow faster than others.

Here are some different types of olive trees, including height, growth habits and hardiness zones.

Mediterranean

  • Height: 8 – 10 feet
  • Indoors or Outdoors: Both
  • Growing Zones: 8 – 10

The Mediterranean olive tree is the classic variety enjoyed by people around the world. They’re relatively small compared to other varieties. They do well when brought indoors for winter. Choose a planter with casters to make the plant easier to move. Under the right conditions, they produce green olives that mature to black.

European Olive Tree

  • Height: 30 – 40 feet
  • Indoors or Outdoors: Outdoors
  • Growing Zones: 9 – 11

European olive trees grow slowly but can reach great heights over time. They’re common in the western US, where they keep their leaves year-round and flower in spring. They’re tolerant of hot, dry climates. Due to their size, many European olive trees require extra attention, including regular pruning and staking.

Arbequina

  • Height: 15 – 20 feet
  • Indoors or Outdoors: Both
  • Growing Zones: 8 – 9

Arbequina olive trees are beloved for their beauty and fruit. They produce black olives, the kind you commonly find on pizzas and grocery store shelves. These olives are also used to make popular commercial olive oil products. These olive trees are also particularly low maintenance since they’re able to tolerate different soil types and ranges of sunlight exposure. Keep in mind that the less consistent sunlight they regularly receive, the fewer olives they’ll yield while fruiting.

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