Olive
Olea europaea
- Layer 2 · Understorey
- Edible companion
Status by region
No restrictions recorded in the lists we checked.
Checked against the European Union list (Regulation 1143/2014) · Portugal's national invasive species list (Decreto-Lei 92/2019).
Information based on the cited sources, not legal advice — always confirm your local rules.
About
The olive tree is an evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean basin, recognised for its drought resistance and extreme longevity. In a food forest system, it acts as an open-canopy productive species, allowing in filtered light that benefits the lower herbaceous layer. Its fruit and the extracted olive oil constitute a fundamental food and economic resource of Mediterranean culture.
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Needs
- Water: Low
- Light: Full sun
- Size: Evergreen tree up to 10 m
- Mature diameter: 6 m
- Soils: Loam, Sandy, Limestone
- Climates: Hot, dry Mediterranean
Calendar
- January — Harvest
- February — Planting
- March — Planting
- April — Planting
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October — Harvest — Planting
- November — Harvest — Planting
- December — Harvest
- Harvest
- Planting
Medicinal use: The fruits produce oil of high nutritional and culinary value, and an infusion of the leaves has antioxidant and hypotensive properties.
Where to buy
Related plants
Other species in the same layer or with the same function.
See the guild for an olive on your land
Tell us where your land is and we'll show the companion plants that grow well with this tree.
No account needed.
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