How to Grow Olive Trees

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How to grow olive trees begins with climate rather than planting. Olives are evergreen trees from a region with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, and the University of Arizona and UF/IFAS both give climate figures that decide whether a tree can survive outdoors. The pages in this guide come from Florida, California and Arizona, so their figures are regional and are labeled that way.

Drainage, pollination and pruning are the other decisions. This guide follows the four pages cited below and says where they disagree, especially on cold hardiness.

Quick answer

• Check your winter lows first. UF/IFAS says olives may be grown where winter temperatures do not drop below about 12 degrees Fahrenheit, while the Arizona arboretum places most fruiting olives in zones 9 to 11.
• Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, and keep the tree away from low, wet spots where water collects.
• Space standard trees 25 to 30 feet apart, or 8 to 10 feet apart for a hedge.
• Prune in spring after flowering, avoid winter cuts, and expect a first crop in about four years.

Confirm the climate before you buy

The Arizona arboretum says most fruit-bearing olive trees thrive in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11, and that they are heat and drought tolerant. It also says they need 200 to 300 chill hours in winter. UF/IFAS gives the cold side in temperature terms: olives may be grown where winter temperatures do not drop below about 12 degrees, and green fruit may be damaged at about 28 degrees. The two statements measure different things, a zone range and a temperature threshold, so they cannot be compared directly.

Containers change the picture. The Ask Extension answer says the soil temperature in pots is typically colder than in the ground, so a potted olive is more exposed to cold than one set in soil. The same answer says that under ideal conditions these trees grow to 30 feet tall, which means a container olive needs a plan for its eventual size, not just its first season.

Choose a cultivar with room to grow

UF/IFAS says tree size should be considered during variety selection, so the tree does not interfere with permanent structures on the property. It says canopies up to 30 feet may be achieved on highly fertile soils. The publication also includes a table of origin, cold hardiness, fertility and pollinizer compatibility for select cultivars, which is the place to check the size and the partner before you buy.

Cultivar choice has to be matched to pollination. UF/IFAS says most olive varieties are somewhat self-incompatible, and several have recently been shown to be self-sterile. Its research summary names Leccino, Pendolino, Moraiolo and Maurino as self-sterile cultivars that require a source of pollen from another cultivar. Multiple trees of the same clone, meaning the same cultivar, would not be able to pollinate each other.

Bloom timing is regional as well. UF/IFAS says the flowers typically open in April or May in Florida. Compatibility is not a simple yes or no. UF/IFAS says the research has shown mixed results, apparently influenced by the environmental conditions where the plants are growing. It also reports that Mission and Manzanillo are cross-incompatible, as are many French cultivars and the varieties Kalamata, Pendolino and Picual. A pair that worked in one region may not work in another, so use the cultivar table as a starting point and confirm with a local source.

The Arizona arboretum adds that olive flowers are wind pollinated and seldom involve insects, so the pollen does not depend on insect visits.

Plant in full sun and well-drained soil

The Arizona arboretum says to locate olive trees in full sun, in well-drained soil, spaced 25 to 30 feet apart, and away from concrete surfaces that the fruit will stain. Its litter note is practical: fruit drop is heavy, and the fruit stains concrete. Plant with a clear margin between the trunk and any walk or patio.

UF/IFAS says olives may be established in many areas of Florida in well-drained soils. It adds that olives grow well on almost any well-drained soil up to a pH of 8.5 and tolerate mild saline conditions, but sand-dominated soils are best, because olives are susceptible to root rot in moist or wet soils. It also says to avoid planting olives in low areas where standing water accumulates after rain. For a soil test that checks pH before planting, our soil tester comparison covers the kits, while drainage has to be checked by watching where water stands.

Spacing depends on the purpose. UF/IFAS says tree spacing for home cultivation will be different from commercial groves. It also says olives can be maintained with appropriate pruning as hedges, with 8 to 10 feet between plants in a row. A hedge and a single standard tree are two different plans, so decide which one you are planting before you dig.

Water deeply and feed lightly

Once established, the Arizona arboretum says to water deeply once or twice a month in warm months. It advises avoiding locations near frequently irrigated lawns or plants, and it says some fruiting cultivars do poorly in regions with summer rains. The entry also says no mulch is necessary. The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County workshop outline lists monthly deep watering in its yearly calendar, which matches the Arizona advice. UF/IFAS describes olive as an evergreen tree of the Olive family (Oleaceae), with leaves that are generally gray-green on the upper surface and much lighter below. It adds that olive leaves are relatively small and have a protective cuticle which slows water loss, allowing olives to survive extended dry periods.

Too much water and too much fertilizer cause different problems. UF/IFAS says an overabundance of moisture may cause the flowers to drop and reduce fruit yield. It also says too much nitrogen will cause excessive shoot growth at the expense of fruiting, and that management problems in Florida likely will involve excessive water and fertilization. The pages therefore point toward restraint rather than a regular feeding schedule.

Prune in spring after flowering

The Arizona arboretum says to prune the tree to shape in spring, in dry weather, after flowering. It advises avoiding winter pruning, because fruit is produced at the tips of the previous year’s growth, and a winter cut removes that wood. The one winter exception it lists is to reduce the fruit crop.

UF/IFAS explains why the timing matters. Because flowering occurs on new growth emerging from the growth of the previous season, pruning can be tricky. The olive never bears fruit twice in the same place on a stem, so new growth each year is essential to flower and fruit production. UF/IFAS says pruning is important in regulating flowering. It also says pruning can shape the tree to help harvest and improve air movement, which the publication links to a lower risk of fungal disease.

Heavy cuts carry a cost. UF/IFAS says olive trees respond to radical pruning when the goal is height or plant form, but the impact on flowering and fruiting should be considered. In off years, it says pruning during flowering to remove non-flowering branches can increase fruit yield for home gardeners. For the tools that handle the thicker cuts, our loppers comparison covers the long-handled options.

Thin the fruit and expect the first crop

Thinning is the Arizona arboretum’s main fruit step. It says to remove excess small fruit within 3 weeks of flowering, so that two to three fruit are left per foot of branch. The same entry says the fruit that stays on the branch will be larger, which is the reason for the early work.

Timing to the first crop depends on how the tree starts. The Arizona arboretum says olive trees begin to flower and fruit after 2 to 4 years in the ground. UF/IFAS says many olive cultivars grown from cuttings or grafted will reach bearing age in about four years. Treat those two ranges as the planning figures for the first crop.

Handle the fruit and the litter

Expect litter. Olive fruit generally is green and turns blackish-purple when fully ripe, and UF/IFAS adds that some cultivars may remain green when ripe. The fruit drops heavily, which is why the Arizona arboretum warns about concrete. UF/IFAS says olives typically are not eaten raw from the tree, because they contain an alkaloid that makes them bitter. It points readers to University of California, Davis, processing recommendations for home processing of the fruit.

Pollen and wildlife are the last two practical points. The Arizona arboretum says the tree’s abundant pollen can be a problem for sensitive people, and that some municipalities allow only sterile, fruitless cultivars to reduce pollen levels. It also says rabbits may eat the bark of young trees and cause great harm, so protect young trunks if rabbits are a local problem.

How we chose

We limited this guide to four pages with university, cooperative extension or master gardener authorship, and we opened each one with curl on 2026-10-23. The UF/IFAS publication carries the most weight because it is a full extension publication. The Arizona arboretum entry is a university page. The Napa workshop outline and the Ask Extension answer are shorter, so they support only the points noted in the text. The UF/IFAS publication and the Arizona entry supply most of the planting, pruning and pollination points, and the other two pages add the container and watering notes. We kept statements about climate, planting, watering, pruning, pollination, thinning and harvest, and we left out pest and disease control. Pages that returned 403 do not count.

What we could not verify

The cold figures are given in different forms. UF/IFAS gives a winter temperature threshold of about 12 degrees, and the Arizona arboretum gives zones 9 to 11, so a reader in a colder zone has no single number to test against. The cultivar cold-hardiness ratings in the Napa outline did not extract cleanly from the document, so this guide does not quote them. The UF/IFAS cultivar table is titled as covering pollinizer compatibility, but its layout did not extract reliably, so the guide points to the table rather than copying pairs from it.

What the sources do not say

The cited sections do not give a planting date for any particular region, a watering schedule for a potted tree, or a pot size for a dwarf cultivar. The Arizona entry says to water deeply once or twice a month once a tree is established, but it does not say how to water a container. None of the cited pages gives a bearing age for each cultivar in a form this guide can use.

Frequently asked questions

Can an olive tree survive winter outdoors?

It depends on your zone and your cultivar. The Arizona arboretum places most fruit-bearing olives in zones 9 to 11, and UF/IFAS says olives may be grown where winter temperatures do not drop below about 12 degrees. Potted trees are more exposed, because the soil temperature in pots is typically colder than in the ground.

Does an olive tree need a second tree to set fruit?

Often yes. UF/IFAS says most olive varieties are somewhat self-incompatible, and several are self-sterile. The same publication says multiple trees of the same cultivar cannot pollinate each other, so a second cultivar is the practical answer.

How far apart should olive trees be planted?

The Arizona arboretum says 25 to 30 feet apart for a standard tree. UF/IFAS says that home spacing differs from commercial groves and that olives can be kept as a hedge with 8 to 10 feet between plants in a row.

When should an olive tree be pruned?

The Arizona arboretum says to prune in spring, in dry weather, after flowering, and to avoid winter pruning except to reduce the fruit crop. UF/IFAS notes that pruning can be tricky because flowering occurs on new growth from the previous season.

How long does a new olive tree take to bear fruit?

The first crop is a range rather than a single date. The Arizona entry gives 2 to 4 years, and UF/IFAS puts cultivars grown from cuttings or grafts at about four years.

Sources

• https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP515/pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=189 (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://ccfruitandnuts.ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/385292.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=432973 (opened 2026-10-23)