Growing Olive Trees in the UK

Some advice on growing Olive Trees in the UK

Growing Olive Trees in the UK

The English climate is perfect for growing an Olive tree.

Olives are hardy and frost resistant to -15C without the need to fleece.

Olive trees need at least three months a year of cold weather to flower and fruit. They are wind resistant and drought hardy, a winning combination that means Olive trees are truly easy to grow.

The Olive is a slow growing and relatively compact evergreen tree and rarely grows more than 40 feet tall. The Olive tree grows throughout the Mediterranean region, much of Africa, in North and South America and as Far East as China. They belong to the same family as the Lilac, Jasmine and Ash Tree.

Olive Cultivars

With over 800 cultivars to choose from we have selected the four best ones for growing in the U.K.

Arbequina

The Arbequina Olive Tree is a small tree (15 feet). Self-fertile and a good pollinator for other cultivars. Starts fruiting early (4 years). Cold hardy. Widely adaptable and suitable for growing in the U.K. Small fruit but very small pit, so has a surprising amount of flesh. Perfect for curing and preserving.

Origin: Catalonia, Spain.

Frantoio Olive Tree

Another Strong Olive tree adaptable to the U.K weather. Grey-green color. Large fruit. Partly self-fertile.

Origin: Italy

The Lecchino Olive Tree

Large Olive Tree grows to 30 foot. Leathery gray leaves. Needs a pollinator, so we recommend the Arbequina if you are keen to grow fruit. Medium-sized fruit.

Origin: Italy

The Picual Olive Tree

Also known as Blanco, Nevadillo, Picua.
A rustic cultivar that adapts to diverse environmental conditions. It reacts well to regenerative pruning because of its capacity to sprout new growth.
Picual Olive Trees have a good resistance to the cold, to bacteria and to damp soils.

Origin: Andalusia, Spain.