Olive Tree Growing Range
Archeologists who have found olive pits and traces of olive oil in pottery shards estimate we ve been cultivating them for 6 000 to 8 000 years.
Olive tree growing range. 2 10 c in order to set flower buds. Olives need long warm summers of at least 80 f. Olive trees are ancient plants. This means that in georgia olives can only grow well in the southern portion.
In the united states olive trees cannot grow north of zone 8 due to their lack of cold tolerance. This process is referred to as vernalization. They re hardy only in usda zones 8 and warmer and start to die when temperatures hit the mid teens. Olive trees will suffer damage if temperatures drop below 17 degrees fahrenheit and will die to the ground if exposed to temperatures colder than 12 degrees fahrenheit.
27 c along with cool night temperatures of 35 50 f. It is short and squat and rarely exceeds 8 15 m 26 49 ft in height. Department of agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 11. In general however we at olive tree growers cannot concur with claims that olive trees can thrive in usda zones 7b or lower and 8a can be questionable depending upon the particular winter and the particular location.
Growing at less than 12 inches per year the olive tree is found most abundantly in mediterranean climates and in u s. In the united states. How to grow olives where to grow olive trees olives are mediterranean plants so thrive in conditions closest to the hot dry climate of their native habitat. For most olive trees conjure up ideas of vast fields in the mediterranean coupled with a blistering sun to help ripen the fruit.
The absolute maximum temperature can reach 104 f 40 c without causing damage but the minimum should not fall below 20 f 7 c. Not all of us can grow these trees for fruit or oil. Growing an olive tree from seed is great for ornamental purposes. Choose the sunniest and most sheltered spot available a south facing spot with a brick wall behind it will work well.
The olive tree is an evergreen that flourishes in hot dry areas and as such will not do well in wet winter soil. The areas where olive trees are cultivated for commercial use must have an average annual temperature of 60 68 f 15 20 c. Unless you are growing an olive tree for a strictly ornamental purpose it is most advisable to plant a specimen with a single trunk for ease of harvest. The olive tree thrives in areas with mediterranean climate where mild winters are followed by sunny springs and hot summers.
While olive trees need to experience vernalization to set fruit they freeze from extremely cold temperatures. Despite this olive trees can grow in most mildly warm climates as long as the winter temps don t drop below freezing.