Olea europaea (Fruitless Olive)

Olea europaea
Common Olive, Cultivated Olive, Edible Olive, European Olive, Lady's Oil, Olive Oil Plant, Sweet Oil Plant

The olive tree has been a staple of agriculture and ornamental landscapes for thousands of years, originally coming from the hillsides of Greece. Olives are known for their great tolerance of summer heat, and low water use requirements. Our trees are true clones of the original fruitless tree discovered by Hudson Hartmann, a professor of Pomology from University of California Davis. He found this unique fruitless selection in 1961 close to the town of Swan Hill in the territory of Victoria, Australia. We graft this fruitless clone onto the 'Oblonga' rootstock, which is prized for its high resistance to Verticillium wilt. This fruitless olive also does not produce pollen, a great advantage for those that suffer from seasonal allergies. Olive trees can handle full sun and reflected heat, even in the hot low deserts like Phoenix and Palm Springs. Periodic deep watering is best to speed plant growth and establish a strong root system. Plants can take damage in the low 20’s, but can recover from dips into the teens.