OLEA europaea Half std

Olea europaea is a slow-growing, evergreen tree valued for its neat, architectural form and grey-green foliage. In Ireland it performs best in full sun and a warm, sheltered spot with sharply drained soil. Small, creamy-white flowers may appear in early summer; fruiting outdoors is unreliable in cool summers, so it is chiefly grown for structure and year-round foliage. Ideal as a specimen in the ground or a large, free-draining container, and well suited to formal or Mediterranean-style planting schemes.

This is a standard tree with a clear stem and a shaped crown above. The tree was grown up to this stem height and then pruned to stop the trunk growing taller. The clear stem will remain at the height you receive it at, with future growth coming from the top of the tree.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun; warm, sheltered site

Rate of Growth: Slow

Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile; light sandy or chalky; neutral to alkaline; avoid waterlogging

Hardiness: Hardy to around -10°C once established; protect from severe frost, especially in containers

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Plant at a Glance