The Drought-Tolerant Fruit Tree That Thrives In Rocky Soil

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While "olive" might not be the first thing you think of when you hear the word "fruit," and you certainly wouldn't put one in a fruit salad, it doesn't change the fact that the golden child of the Mediterranean diet is indeed a fruit from a hardy tree. The common olive (Olea europaea) was first cultivated over 5,000 years ago in the Eastern Mediterranean, which includes what is now Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine. It grows best in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, especially in regions with similar climates to Mediterranean countries.

Olives grow well in rocky soil, thanks to their deep taproots and ability to thrive without much organic matter. They are very drought-tolerant, requiring full sun, which makes them a great choice for areas where more delicate fruit trees, such as apple trees, won't grow. The olive has an extensive history of being grown outside the Mediterranean, setting down roots in southern Spain and Portugal before the European discovery of the Americas. Since then, it has been cultivated across the world, including in southern Africa, Australia, Japan, and China. Olive trees are most often used for their eponymous fruit, which is made into a highly sought-after oil; but olive wood flooring is also a desirable choice for homes, and the wood is the basis of designer furniture.

The olive may be starting to sound like a tasty option for those who want to grow fruit trees in hot, drought-prone climates and rocky soil. If you would like your own olive tree, do your planting in spring so the tree has time to establish itself before the weather gets colder. Olive trees can be planted directly in the ground, but depending on your environment, you might want to plant your tree in a pot so you can move it inside during the winter. Temperatures in the 40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit range in winter are ideal for olive trees, while temperatures below 20 degrees may damage them. Make sure your olive tree gets plenty of sun and that the soil drains properly — even in rocky soil, olives do not respond well to overwatering. For the first few years of your tree's life, you should water it around two times a week, cutting back in the winter.

The good news is that olive trees are self-fertile, so you don't have to do anything to get them to produce flowers, and they recover quickly from trauma or frost. They do require some maintenance, but not much, and they have been known to live for hundreds (sometimes even thousands) of years if cared for properly. You can even successfully grow an olive tree indoors in a sunny enough area.

Once your olive tree is established, you should consider pruning it, as regular pruning keeps the tree tidy and makes harvesting the olives easier. Because the tree requires considerable sunlight, pruning allows all the tree's branches to see the sun, increasing the plant's health and its olive yield in the spring and fall. You should be patient when it comes to harvesting, as an olive tree can take up to five years to begin fruiting at full capacity.

While you might be tempted to call in a professional, you can prune your trees the right way yourself. Since the olive tree has such a long history of cultivation, there are many resources on the best ways to care for your plant, with advice on everything from watering practices to pruning shapes. Many of these resources, including books like the Olive Production Manual, advise striving to keep a low "vase" shape to your tree to maximize sun exposure.