Olea europaea
Common name: 
Common olive
Olive
Pronunciation: 
O-lee-a eu-ro-PIE-a
Family: 
Oleaceae
Genus: 
Olea
Synonyms: 
Olea europaea var. europaea
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Broadleaf evergreen, tree, much branched, slow growing, to 20-30 ft (6-10 m) tall, slightly less in width, forming a rounded head, becoming irregular with age.  Stems gray becoming gnarled, bumpy and contorted with age; attractive trunk.  Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic to lanceolate, to 8 cm long, margin may be irregularly toothed, leathery, gray-green on top, underside silver-green.  Flowers small, off-white, fragrant, in axillary clusters (panicles) about 5 cm long.  Fruit spherical to ovoid, green, then ripening to purple-black, about 4 cm long.
  • Sun,  Deep soil, minimal irrigation required.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 8      Native to the Mediterranean, cultivated for millennia.
  • europea: of Europe
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, young tree

    plant habit, young tree

  • plant habit, old tree

    plant habit, old tree

  • plant habit, sheared tree in a garden

    plant habit, sheared tree in a garden

  • leaves

    leaves

  • leaves, underside

    leaves, underside

  • young fruit

    young fruit

  • canopy with green fruit

    canopy with green fruit

  • green fruit

    green fruit

  • trunk, bark

    trunk, bark