Olive Tree Grow In Texas
Growing olive trees in texas.
Olive tree grow in texas. Studies there showed that the olive trees would produce in texas conditions. Create beautiful low maintenance landscapes while conserving and protecting natural resources and the environment. Texas is not an ideal climate for the olive tree which prefers more temperate conditions year round than the lone star state can provide. Trees may live well over 100 years.
The best area in texas to attempt commercial olive production is in the southwest region north of laredo and southwest of san antonio known as the winter garden. The olive is an exotic fruit crop in texas. However texas gardeners can try to grow olive trees in their yards. In the united states texas olive occurs in the wild in very few locations.
Olives are native to the mediterranean basin which usually has mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. Currently victoria county has about 800 acres in olive tree production with more slated to plant. When you think about an olive tree you probably imagine it growing somewhere hot and dry like southern spain or greece these beautiful trees that produce such delicious fruits are not just for the hottest climates though. Fruiting of the olive tree which occurs in the winter depends completely on temperature more precisely what agriculturalists call vernalization.
Unless you live in isolated pockets of east central and south texas you will need to grow your olive tree as an ornamental and here s why. Use the earth kind plant selector to choose the best plants and trees to grow in your texas landscape. In texas manzanilla olives are primarily pressed for oil. Its fruit can be used for table olives or pressed for oil if you are so inclined.
Historically this texas beauty grew no further north than certain lower rio grande valley counties including hidalgo jim hogg and willacy. The wild olive is a member of the borage family that matures to about 20 feet in height and has a. It is native to no other state in the united states. There are varieties of cold hardy olive trees including zone 7 olive trees that thrive in regions you might not have expected to be olive friendly.
In contrast texas sometimes has severe winter freezes that can kill olives to the ground. However the texas friendly arbequina variety is self pollinating. Olive trees typically require pollinating companions and multiple varietals are usually carefully arranged in groves to provide optimal fruiting. Isolated plantings of olive trees mostly used as ornamentals can be found in parts of central and south texas today.
Reduce the amount of water fertilizer and pesticides that you use in your landscape. The olive is related to the desert.