Olea europaea is an evergreen plant of great agricultural and ornamental value, belonging to the Oleaceae family.

Native to the Mediterranean basin, it is cultivated for the production of olives and olive oil, but also as a distinctive landscaping element in gardens, parks, and public spaces.

It appears as a slow-growing tree, characterized by a rounded and light canopy, often irregular and sculptural, especially in mature specimens. The trunk tends to twist with age, taking on particularly decorative shapes.

The evergreen leaves are opposite, lance-shaped, green-gray on the upper side and silvery on the underside, highly resistant to drought and sunlight.

Between May and June, the olive tree flowers with small cream-white flowers, gathered in axillary panicles. Although not very showy, the flowers are important for pollination and the subsequent fruit formation. The olives ripen between October and December, changing from green to black, and can be appreciated for their decorative value as well as harvested for culinary use.

It is an extremely hardy plant, adapting well to poor, rocky, or calcareous soils, with excellent resistance to wind, heat, prolonged drought, and salinity. It only fears waterlogging, which is why it is important to ensure good drainage. The ideal exposure is full sun, where it develops its canopy and produces fruit at its best.

Thanks to its versatility and resilience, Olea europaea is used as a solitary ornamental tree in rocky, Mediterranean, or contemporary gardens.

Its maintenance is minimal: it only requires light pruning to maintain its shape or stimulate fruiting.

→ Discover the Quercus ilex, a Mediterranean evergreen, resistant to heat and drought