Olea europaea – Bush Form

European Olive

(10 customer reviews)

From: £18.95

Olea europaea has been cultivated and grown for its fruit and oil by people as far back as the ancient Greeks and Romans, but it is nonetheless hardy enough to be suitable for British gardens.

Olea europaea in bush form is a small to medium sized evergreen shrub with a thin hard wood trunk, iconic silver-grey green leathery leaves in a natural shape, and sweetly scented flowers. All of our olive trees are sourced in person from handpicked Spanish growers with high quality stock.

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Origin: Mediterranean
Genus: Olea
Species / Cultivar: europaea
Common Name: European Olive

Plant Biography

The European Olive Tree is an unmistakable symbol of both the Mediterranean landscape and way of life, dating back several millennia. Named ‘the queen of all trees’ by the ancient Roman agricultural writer Lucius Columella, they have long represented wealth, abundance, power and peace – a wreath of its foliage was even presented to victorious ancient Greek athletes as a trophy of their success.

Widely distributed across the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia, Olea europaea is of course most well known for its fruit – the olive. In the Mediterranean, where they have been grown for over 5,000 years, around 90% of the world’s olives are produced, proving to be one of the region’s most valuable crops.

Today, there are thought to be around 865 million olive trees in the world, some of which are claimed to be at least 2000 years old and yet still produce olives!

Olea europaea – Bush Form
Soil: Moist but Well Drained
Soil that allows water to drain at a moderate rate, without the water pooling.
Growth Rate: Medium
Expect to see moderate growth during growing season.
Water Requirement: Low
Will grow in a drier position and is unlikely to need regular watering once established.
Maintenance: Low
Minimal skill or input needed beyond the basics, a very independent plant.
Situation: Full Sun
Wants direct, unfiltered sunlight most of the day, such as a south facing position.
Eventual Height: 4-8m
The plant's ultimate height in typical growing conditions.
Eventual Spread: 2-5m
The plant's ultimate spread in typical growing conditions.
Hardiness: Hardy
Survives unprotected in an average winter. May need protection in extreme long frosts.
Habit: Evergreen
Always in leaf throughout the year. It won't lose all its leaves at any one time.

Expert Tip

Olea europaea can be planted or kept in a pot, so long as they have good drainage and are watered well in the warmer summer months. Olives make for a stunning feature to suit a wide variety of styles, either clipped to suit formal gardens or left loose for more naturalistic designs.
Care & Size Guidance

Care & Size Guidance

This evergreen bush is hardy and, from its coastal heritage, can withstand strong winds and even minus temperatures. So, despite their Mediterranean roots, olives are perfectly suitable for British gardens.

Olea europaea is a very slow growing plant and is tolerant of pruning, so it’s unlikely to outgrow the space it’s in.

I ordered 8 of the small trees and 2 half standard. They’re everything I hoped for, stunning olive trees of excellent quality. The larger ones are bigger than expected

Eleri B

I ordered 8 of the small trees and 2 half standard. They’re everything I hoped for, stunning olive trees of excellent quality. The larger ones are bigger than expected

10 customer reviews for Olea europaea – Bush Form

Really nice, well packed, good size and delivered very quickly and tracking was accurate, online plants from other places have been a bit hit and miss but this one exceeded my expectations and I look forward to the nicer weather and planting it out and would happily order from here again.

Heidi newton-edwards (verified owner)

Appeared in good health althougha couple of branches were broken and had to be removed. Wasn’t really a very good shape though. Uneven and lopsided, so okay but don’t think I’d order another one.

Rachael Thacker (verified owner)

Ordered to olive bushes, they were half price, fabulous condition and looked better than I expected they would. Well packaged and tracked delivery. So happy with them. Also i’m Loving the upgraded palm centre website too, (although the link from the email asking me to review went to an error page). Much better user experience. Thanks

Georgina (verified owner)

I bought one of these for my sister to thank her for looking after my mum and dad, one for me and one for my son as a new home present. Very pleased with all of them. Very good ,bushy plants in excellent condition and very good value for money. My sister is delighted with her olive tree. I’m going to let mine grow tall for a lovely mediterranean look. Can’t thank you enough. Your plants make great presents for the family. Well done, The Palm Centre.

Teresa Hogan