If you’re planning to add an olive tree to your garden, one of the first questions you’ll likely ask is, how tall do olive trees grow? Understanding their potential size is crucial for placement and long-term care. These iconic trees are known for their resilience and beauty, but their ultimate height can vary widely.
Several key factors influence whether your olive tree stays a manageable patio specimen or becomes a towering centerpiece. Let’s look at what determines their growth and how you can manage it.
How Tall Do Olive Trees Grow
In their natural, unmanaged state in the Mediterranean, olive trees (Olea europaea) can reach impressive sizes. On average, you can expect a mature olive tree to grow between 20 and 30 feet tall. However, in optimal conditions with perfect soil and centuries of growth, some ancient specimens can soar to 40 or even 50 feet.
Their spread, or canopy width, often matches their height, creating a beautiful, broad silhouette. It’s important to remember that olive trees are slow growers. They might only add 2 to 12 inches of new growth per year, depending on conditions. This slow pace gives you plenty of time to plan and shape the tree as it develops.
Key Factors That Influence Olive Tree Height
Not every olive tree will hit the maximum height. Its final size is a direct result of its environment and your care. Here are the main elements that play a role:
* Cultivar (Variety): This is the biggest factor. Some varieties are naturally more compact. ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Skylark Dwarf’ are popular for container growing, often topping out at 10-15 feet. ‘Manzanillo’ and ‘Mission,’ used for fruit and oil, are more vigorous and can reach 25-30 feet.
* Growing Conditions: Like all plants, olives need the right environment to thrive. They prefer full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily), well-draining soil, and warm temperatures. In less-than-ideal conditions, their growth will be stunted.
* Pruning and Training: This is the factor you control the most. Regular pruning not only maintains a desired shape and encourages fruiting but also directly limits height. A pruned orchard tree is kept much shorter than a wild one.
* Root Space: An olive tree planted in the ground with unlimited room for its roots will grow much larger than one confined to a pot. Container growth naturally restricts size.
Popular Olive Tree Varieties and Their Typical Heights
Choosing the right variety from the start is the easiest way to manage height expectations. Here’s a quick guide to some common types:
Smaller Varieties (Great for Containers)
* Arbequina: A favorite for home growers. It’s naturally shrubby and typically reaches 10-15 feet tall. It’s also quite cold-tolerant and starts fruiting at a young age.
* Skylark Dwarf: A true dwarf cultivar, it usually stays between 6 and 10 feet tall. Its small leaves and tight growth habit make it perfect for patios.
* Little Ollie: A sterile, fruitless variety bred specifically as an ornamental shrub. It can be kept at 4-6 feet with pruning and is often used for hedges or topiaries.
Larger Varieties (For Landscaping and Orchard Use)
* Manzanillo: Primarily grown for its large fruit, often used for table olives. It’s a vigorous tree that can easily reach 25-30 feet with a broad canopy.
* Mission: A classic American variety, known for its oil and fruit. It’s a strong grower and can achieve heights of 25-35 feet over many decades.
* Frantoio & Leccino: Classic Italian oil varieties. They are upright and vigorous, commonly growing to 20-30 feet in an orchard setting.
How to Manage and Control the Height of Your Olive Tree
You are not at the mercy of your tree’s genetics. With proactive care, you can successfully manage its size. Here’s a practical, step-by-step approach:
1. Select the Right Variety for Your Space. This is the most important step. If you have a small garden or want a patio tree, start with a naturally compact cultivar like ‘Arbequina.’
2. Plant in a Container for Ultimate Control. Growing an olive tree in a pot is the most effective way to limit its size. The root system becomes “root-bound,” which naturally restricts the tree’s overall growth. A potted ‘Arbequina’ may never exceed 6-8 feet.
3. Prune Regularly and Correctly. Annual pruning is essential for height control and health.
* Best Time: Prune in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins.
* Thin the Canopy: Remove crossing, dead, or diseased branches first. Then, thin out some interior growth to allow light and air into the center.
* Control Height: To reduce height, identify a few of the tallest, most upright branches. Cut them back to a lower, outward-facing side branch. Never just “top” the tree by cutting all branches straight across; this creates ugly, weak growth.
4. Manage Water and Fertilizer. While olives need water to establish, mature trees are incredibly drought-tolerant. Over-watering and over-fertilizing, especially with high-nitrogen fertilizers, can encourage excessive, weak growth. Adopt a “less is more” approach once the tree is established.
Common Mistakes That Can Affect Growth
Sometimes, what you don’t do is just as important. Avoid these pitfalls:
* Planting in Too Much Shade: Olive trees in shade become “leggy,” stretching tall and thin in search of light, while producing few leaves or fruit.
* Over-watering or Poor Drainage: Soggy soil leads to root rot, which will severely stunt or kill the tree. They much prefer dry feet.
* Using the Wrong Fertilizer: A balanced, slow-release fertilizer is best. Avoid heavy nitrogen feeds that push tall, sappy growth at the expense of strength and fruiting.
* Neglecting Annual Pruning: Letting the tree grow unchecked for years makes it much harder to correct its size later. A little pruning each year is simple; major renovation is a big job.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How fast do olive trees grow?
Olive trees are slow to moderate growers. In perfect conditions, they may grow 12-24 inches per year. Often, growth is slower, especially in containers or cooler climates.
Can I keep an olive tree small?
Absolutely. By choosing a dwarf variety, planting it in a container, and committing to annual pruning, you can maintain an olive tree at almost any size, even as small as 4-5 feet for many years.
What is the lifespan of an olive tree?
Olive trees are famously long-lived. In the right climate, they can easily live for 500 years or more. Their slow growth contributes to their incredible longevity.
Do olive trees have invasive roots?
No, olive tree roots are not considered invasive or aggressively damaging like some species. They have a mostly fibrous, shallow root system that spreads wide, but it’s not known for cracking foundations or pipes if given reasonable space.
How tall do olive trees grow in pots?
A potted olive tree’s height is largely constrained by the container size. A typical ‘Arbequina’ in a 24-inch pot might stabilize at 5-7 feet tall. Repotting into a gradually larger container will allow it to grow bigger, but keeping it pot-bound is the key to limiting size.
Understanding the potential height of your olive tree sets you up for success. By selecting the appropriate variety and using smart gardening techniques like container growing and pruning, you can enjoy these beautiful, silvery trees in almost any space. Whether you dream of a miniature patio tree or a full-sized orchard specimen, knowing what to expect helps you make the right choices from the very beginning.