Olive Tree Texas Grow
Select a location with as least 8 hours of full sunlight each day with well drained soil.
Olive tree texas grow. 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. Historically this texas beauty grew no further north than certain lower rio grande valley counties including hidalgo jim hogg and willacy. Olives are native to the mediterranean basin which usually has mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. Texas is not an ideal climate for the olive tree which prefers more temperate conditions year round than the lone star state can provide.
Studies by the late jim denny at texas a m university indicated that the olive could be grown as a fruit tree in large parts of east central and south texas. The olive is an exotic fruit crop in texas. The mexican olive tree cordia boissieri also known as a wild olive or texas olive tree grows near water sources on the plains of southern texas in the lower rio grande valley. Plant the olive tree in early spring after the last frost.
With some basic regular care your olive tree can give you many years of pleasure. For those gardeners with harsh winter conditions olive trees can be grown in containers and brought indoors for the winter. Fruiting of the olive tree which occurs in the winter depends completely on temperature more precisely what agriculturalists call vernalization. The native tree appears close to extinction in the wild according to the university of florida s.
Olive trees typically require pollinating companions and multiple varietals are usually carefully arranged in groves to provide optimal fruiting. Olives are native to the mediterranean basin which usually has mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. However the texas friendly arbequina variety is self pollinating. Trees may live well over 100 years.
It is native to no other state in the united states. The tree also grows in mexico. Its fruit can be used for table olives or pressed for oil if you are so inclined. Olive trees grow in a wide variety of climatic conditions and will grow well in any area with hot dry summers and mild winters.
Growing olive trees in texas. In contrast texas sometimes has severe winter freezes that can kill olives to the ground. The olive is an exotic fruit crop in texas. Ensure the location is free of competing plants and rests away from concrete areas to avoid stains from fallen fruit.
However the trees would freeze to the ground three of ten years. In contrast texas sometimes has severe winter. Extreme south texas does not experience enough cool vernalization weather to set fruit on the olive. In the united states texas olive occurs in the wild in very few locations.