Cold hardiness

Future

2050

2100

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Won't grow here

2050

Zone 7a

Plotwright

Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).

Won't grow here

In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.

✕

Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future

2050

2100

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 39 ecoregions — 34 climate-resilient through 2070 · 5 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

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Arizona Mountains forests

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Atlantic coastal pine barrens

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California coastal sage and chaparral

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate water

Spacing

240"

Habit

Evergreen Mediterranean tree with a rounded crown that gnarls with age

Care tips

•

Site it in full sun with sharp drainage; olive rots in wet, heavy soil and is drought tolerant once established.

•

Fruiting needs the right winter chill — at least two months below 50 degrees F — so expect ornamental-only performance at the warm edge of its range.

•

In Zone 7 and colder, grow it in a container and overwinter it cool (40-50 degrees F) indoors rather than planting it out.

Lifecycle

Planting

Where winter hardy (USDA Zones 8-10), plant in fertile, medium-moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Best performance is in Mediterranean-type climates with hot-dry summers and mild-wet winters, such as California (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Transplanting

Move young container trees in spring; established olives resent disturbance to their root systems and are best sited permanently from the start.

Early growth

Water to establish, then ease off — common olive is drought tolerant once established (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder). Avoid wet, poorly drained soil.

Maturity

Matures to a 20-30 foot rounded-crown tree. Trees need at least two months of sub-50 degree F winter temperatures to set flowers, so fruiting depends on the right winter chill (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Propagation

Commercially propagated from cuttings to reproduce named fruit and oil cultivars true to type; a large number of commercial varieties are grown for fruit production (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Pollination

Wind-pollinated

Olive is primarily wind-pollinated, producing abundant light pollen; many cultivars are self-incompatible or set far heavier crops with a compatible pollenizer variety nearby, so commercial orchards interplant pollenizers. Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes the small white flowers are fragrant and bloom in summer panicles, and that a large number of commercial varieties are grown for fruit production.

Plants don't grow alone

Pollen forage

Bee

European honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Olive is primarily wind-pollinated and offers no nectar, but its abundant summer pollen is foraged by honey bees. Honey bees are an introduced (non-native) species, the same Old-World/Mediterranean origin as the olive itself; native North American pollinators are not documented associates of this exotic tree.

For people

Edible with preparation

Olives from this species are commercially harvested as eating olives and for olive oil (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder). Raw olives off the tree are intensely bitter from oleuropein and are inedible until cured (brined, water-cured, lye-cured, or dry-salted); oil is pressed from the ripe drupes.

Native range

AHS heat range

6-12

Climate notes

•

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Olea europaea for USDA Zones 8 to 10 in full sun, with medium water and medium maintenance; height 20-30 feet and spread 15-25 feet, blooming white in June to July, and tolerant of drought.

•

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes best performance in Mediterranean-type climates (hot-dry summer, mild-wet winter) such as California, and that trees are not winter hardy to the St. Louis area, where they are best grown in greenhouses, conservatories, or overwintered containers kept cool (40-50 degrees F).

•

Not native to North America — Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder gives the native range as the Mediterranean region. Olea europaea is naturalized and locally invasive in parts of California and Australia, so site it where escaped seedlings will not spread into wildland.

In the designer

Growth over time

240-360" tall · 180-300" spread

Mature rounded crown at 20-30 feet with reliable fruit where the climate suits.

Design roles: Focal point · Structure · Edible

Seasonal interest

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Filled = the plant has seasonal interest · ▾ now = your current season

Common olive

At a glance

Why it matters

Cold hardiness

Heat tolerance

Where this plant fits

What it needs

Lifecycle

Pollination

Plants don't grow alone

For people

Native range

Climate notes

In the designer

Seasonal interest

Sources & citations