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Common olive
Habit (mature) · David Perez (DPC) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Limited coverage
Common olive
Olea europaea
The classic Mediterranean evergreen — one of the first trees ever cultivated (Crete, ~2500 B.C.) and the source of eating olives and olive oil. It grows 20-30 feet with a rounded crown, smooth gray bark that gnarls picturesquely with age, and opposite lance-shaped leaves that are gray-green above and silver beneath. Fragrant white summer flowers give way to oval green drupes that ripen to black. Drought tolerant once established, but winter-hardy only to USDA Zone 8.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: narrow (30/100)
Focal point
Structure
Edible
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
240-360" tall · 240" apart
Hardy in zones
8a-10b
cold to mild winters
Summer heat range
Warm-Extreme
warm to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Won't grow here
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Won't grow here
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Common olive (Olea europaea). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/olive
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 3.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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