Description
(Olea europaea ‘Miniolea’)
The Miniolea olive tree is a lovely little option for the backyard or balcony. It’s a good grower with a nice, open, airy habit and rich green leaves. Regular pruning will cause the tree to thicken up into nice, full canopy.
They suit a range of different climate conditions and can be quite tolerant of drought, but like most olives, Miniolea would prefer regions with less humidity and more dry heat with plenty of full sun.
As a semi-dwarf tree, it can grow from 2 – 4m tall, depending on the soil and conditions, though it can be easily pruned to a size and shape that suits your garden.
It can also live quite happily in a nice large pot, making them a great choice as a fruiting feature tree or centrepiece.
Miniolea can often start cropping while it’s still relatively young, however as they mature further, they will start providing larger and more consistent crops. This is usually from 5 – 8 years of age for olive trees.
The olive fruit itself is suitable for both pickling and oil production. They can be picked and pickled while they’re still green, or you can wait until they turn purple-black before picking.
