Olea Europea (European Olive/Olive)

The olive is an evergreen tree well-known for its long lifespan. Suffice it to say, any attempts to grow the olive north of the Mediterranean, even with the protection of a shelter, will at best result in a barren tree and at worst a dead one. If you enjoy the silvery leaves of this plant, you might also like to have a look at the willow.

They love full sunlight, hot temperatures, and well-drained soil. They can even do well in dry, low-quality and chalky soil. It is perfectly possible to grow them in a pot. They are typically small to medium sized trees. Their leaves are leathery, narrow, simple, and opposite. Although their flowers are small and carried on panicles it is the olive fruit for which this plant is mainly grown. However, as the trees are very slow growing and live for a very long time.