Moraiolo Olive Tree – A Tuscan Olive for Windy & Coastal Gardens
Meet Moraiolo, a traditional Italian olive variety that deserves to become better known among UK gardeners. Originating in central Italy, particularly Tuscany and Umbria, Moraiolo is valued by Italian olive growers for its distinctive character, its contribution to high-quality olive oil and its reputation for tolerating wind and salty sea air. It offers something a little different for gardeners looking beyond the familiar Arbequina, Frantoio and Leccino.
At The Norfolk Olive Tree Company, we believe that choosing an olive tree is about more than its appearance. Different cultivars have different characteristics, and understanding those differences helps you find the right olive for your garden.
Why choose a Moraiolo olive tree?
A variety worth knowing by name
Moraiolo is an established Italian cultivar, particularly associated with Tuscany and Umbria. In Italy, it is grown primarily for olive oil production rather than as a table olive. Its distinctive heritage makes it an interesting addition to a collection of named olive varieties. Also known in some Italian growing regions as Morello, Morellino, Morinello and Neriolo, Moraiolo is a traditional central Italian olive cultivar.
Moraiolo: a salt-air tolerant olive tree for coastal gardens
Moraiolo is recognised in Tuscan horticultural references for its tolerance of wind and salty sea air. This makes it worth considering for gardens where exposure is an important factor in choosing an evergreen tree.
A distinctive olive oil heritage
Moraiolo is prized for its robust oil, with characteristic fruitiness, bitterness and peppery pungency. Research has also highlighted its phenolic compounds, which contribute to the distinctive chemistry and sensory character of its oil.
Studies have recorded particularly interesting phenolic concentrations in Moraiolo fruit compared with other Italian cultivars. Actual levels in any resulting oil will depend on growing conditions, fruit maturity and processing.
A beautiful evergreen with a Tuscan identity
You don’t have to intend to harvest olives to appreciate Moraiolo. Its Italian heritage and naturally upright growth habit make it an appealing choice for Mediterranean-inspired planting, courtyards, patios and sunny garden settings.
Whether you’re building a collection of olive varieties or simply looking for an evergreen tree with a story behind it, Moraiolo offers an alternative worth discovering.
Moraiolo olive tree – size and specifications
- Variety: Moraiolo (Olea europaea)
- Origin: Central Italy, particularly Tuscany and Umbria
- Height: Approximately 2 metres, including the nursery pot
- Pot size: 10 litres
- Pot dimensions: Approximately 25cm × 25cm
- Growth habit: Naturally upright
- Uses: Ornamental evergreen planting and growing olives for oil
- Notable characteristics: Wind and salty-air tolerance; distinctive, phenolic-rich oil heritage
Planting and potting advice
Your Moraiolo olive arrives growing in its nursery pot. This is a growing pot, not a permanent container, so you will need to plant the tree into suitable garden soil or repot it into a larger, well-drained container.
Choose a sunny position and ensure that excess water can drain away freely. If planting in the ground, avoid waterlogged soil and consider winter exposure before choosing the final position.
If your aim is to harvest olives, remember that pollination matters. Moraiolo is not reliably self-fertile, so growing it alongside a compatible olive variety such as Frantoio or Arbequina will improve the prospects of fruit set.
A note about your tree
We currently have 100 Moraiolo olive trees in stock. With a delivery of this size, we cannot photograph every tree individually.
Your tree will be selected from this batch and will have the same advertised height and general stature as described above. As these are living plants, natural differences in branching, foliage and shape are to be expected.
Discover Moraiolo at The Norfolk Olive Tree Company
We have sought out this distinctive cultivar as part of our growing collection of named olive varieties. Having met specialist growers and learnt more about the cultivars they produce, we want to help UK gardeners discover olives for their individual qualities — whether that’s their growth habit, garden suitability, heritage or potential for home-grown olives.
Discover Moraiolo and add a distinctive Tuscan olive to your garden.
Explore our Grow Your Own Olive collection.
Explore our Grow Your Own Olive collection, featuring distinctive Italian cultivars including Moraiolo, Coratina, Bianchera, Frantoio and Leccino. Discover their individual characteristics, growing habits and olive-growing heritage, and find the varieties best suited to your garden and ambitions.
