Olive 'Arbequina' Tree

No matter where you live, you can capture the exotic beauty and fabulous flavor of the Mediterranean with this easy-to-grow olive tree. Whether you want to train it in a large container or let it weep magnificently in the sunny garden, this self-pollinating tree offers evergreen beauty, fragrant spring blooms, and succulent fruit.

The display begins in spring, when small, very fragrant cream-colored blooms peek out from among attractive grayish-green leaves. They are followed by masses of 1- to 1½-inch olives in summer, emerging green and then darkening to glossy purple-black. Harvest them either green or purple, or leave them on the tree to look beautiful and let the birds feast.

A native of Catalonia, Spain, this tree is known as 'Arbequina'. It is frost-hardy to 22°F, and thrives in long, hot, dry summers. But even if you live far north and have a short, mild growing season, you can enjoy this fine tree in containers. Simply bring it indoors before the first hard frost and prune it to shape in late summer.

The Spanish Olive Tree is self-pollinating, so you need plant only one. And it's so easy to care for. Give it an annual prune if you want new fruit, and make sure the soil maintains adequate levels of nitrogen . . . and you're done! Tolerant of any soil pH up to 8.5, it is a wonderful choice for drought-ridden climates.

Your Spanish Olive Tree will begin bearing fruit 2 to 3 seasons after you plant it. With each passing year, the trunk and branches of this tree increase in beauty, becoming gnarled and heavily textured while weeping magnificently to form an elegant silhouette in all seasons.

If you are planting this tree in the garden, space the trees about 10 feet apart. Plant height is 18 to 36 inches when shipped. Within 5 years they will reach 8 to 10 feet tall, and eventually top out (if not pruned back) at about 20 feet high and 12 feet wide. Quite tolerant of salt spray and saline soil, they are also a fine choice in windy climates. Olives are also a fine choice for espaliers.