Olive Tree Climate Australia

Olive trees can be grown for their fruit but many gardeners are well acquainted with their evergreen silver grey green foliage and tidy habit.

Olive tree climate australia. Olives flourish in cool winters with hot dry summers with low humidity. Olea europaea is the type species for the genus olea. The olive known by the botanical name olea europaea meaning european olive is a species of small tree in the family oleaceae found traditionally in the mediterranean basin the species is cultivated in all the countries of the mediterranean as well as in south america south africa australia new zealand and the united states. They tend to grow well in the same areas and climates that support the growth of wine grapes.

But if fruit isn t what you re after olive trees olea europaea are also evergreen have stunning silver foliage and clip well making them ideal for topiary hedges or espalier. They need some cooling time to be more productive. Olive trees make a great hardy tree for the home garden and many varieties can easily be grown in pots or containers. Fundamentally olives require a cool wet winter and long warm dry summers.

Interestingly many varieties of olive trees in temperate climates actually need some degree of cold weather. If planted in areas where winter is too mild an olive tree won t enter dormancy and flower buds won t fully mature. That s most of southern australia. It s in a high rainfall area known for its milk and cheese.

The areas where olive trees are cultivated for commercial use must have an average annual temperature of 60 68 f 15 20 c. Climate olive trees like cool cold winters and hot summers. Olives flourish where there is good drainage and cool winters with hot dry summers without humidity. For most varieties some winter frost is preferred.

Climate olive trees are native to the mediterranean so they thrive in a climate where the summer is long hot and dry and the winter is cool they re quite frost tolerant. Olive trees are widely grown in australia as a commercial crop for both fruit and olive oil. The absolute maximum temperature can reach 104 f 40 c without causing damage but the minimum should not fall below 20 f 7 c. Olives are traditionally from a mediterranean climate and they do perform well in these conditions.

Even though olives are evergreen trees they still need a cool winter so they can rest to prepare for their main shooting flowering and fruiting in the spring. Olive trees are considered subtropical. They are tolerant of winds coastal salt spray medium frosts and dry conditions. That s why an olive tree planted in a tropical climate will almost never bloom and bear fruit.

Lower temperatures than this can cause serious damage to the trees. The olive grove where gardening australia filmed is an hour south of adelaide near mount compass.