The plant you are interested in is the Olijf Olea (Olive Tree), an ancient and highly revered tree that is deeply symbolic of peace, longevity, and abundance. Your specimen, standing at a substantial 80cm tall in its 19cm pot, is ready to bring the sophisticated beauty and timeless elegance of the Mediterranean landscape to your home or small garden.

🌿 Foliage, Form, and Appearance

The Olive Tree is an evergreen tree, meaning it retains its beautiful leaves throughout the year. Its foliage is slender and elegant: the leaves are small, narrow, and often slightly curled, displaying a striking colour contrast—a dark, muted grey-green on the top surface and a softer, silvery-green or almost white colour on the underside. This silvery sheen is particularly noticeable when the breeze rustles the leaves. The tree naturally develops a sturdy, sometimes gnarled trunk as it ages, giving it a timeless, sculptural appearance. It is a sturdy plant that does not have any spines.

📏 Size and Growth

Your Common Olive is already 80cm tall, making it a substantial and eye-catching addition. While they can grow into large trees outdoors in the Mediterranean, when kept in a pot indoors or in a small garden, their growth is naturally restricted. They will maintain a very manageable, bushy size, generally topping out at 1.5 to 3 metres, depending on pruning and pot size, allowing you to enjoy its elegant shape for many years.

🌸 Flowering and Fruiting

The Olive Tree typically flowers in late spring to early summer (around May or June). The flowers are small, subtle, and appear in delicate clusters. They are a creamy-white to pale yellow colour. The blossoms are not particularly showy, but they have a light, mild fragrance.

If the tree is mature enough and receives sufficient sunlight and is appropriately pollinated, it will produce olives (fruit), which start green and ripen to black in the late autumn/winter (typically October to December, depending on your climate and the specific variety). The production of fruit adds a wonderful layer of charm and interest.

💧 Care and Environment

Taking care of the Common Olive is famously easy as can be, making it an excellent choice for both beginner and experienced plant enthusiasts.

• Placement: This tree absolutely needs a sunny spot to thrive and grow to its full potential. Indoors, this means a bright, south-facing window. Outdoors, place it where it receives maximum direct sunlight.

• Watering: Olives are drought-tolerant, but when in a pot, they need consistent moisture. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out completely between waterings, then water deeply. They are highly susceptible to root rot if overwatered, so ensuring excellent drainage is essential.

• Winter Care: If kept outdoors in a colder climate (UK or Northern Europe), it will require protection during the winter, often by moving it into a cool, bright conservatory or garage.

Note: The fruit of the Olea europaea is not toxic, but raw olives are intensely bitter and require curing (soaking and brining) to be edible. The leaves are non-toxic.