Do Olives Grow on Vines? Uncovering the Truth About Olive Trees
One of the most famous fruits in the world, olives are linked to the Mediterranean climate and food. They are great for eating on their own or making olive oil because they are rich and oily. But where do olives really come from? Do they grow on vines like grapes do, or is there something else they do to grow?
We’ll look at the whole life cycle of an olive tree in this article to find out the truth about how olives grow. What makes olive trees different from grape vines? How do olives grow from flowers to fruit? How do you take care of your own olive tree? Let’s find out if olives really do grow on vines!
Olive Trees vs Grape Vines What’s the Difference?
Olives and grapes – two quintessential Mediterranean fruits. But while grapes grow on vining plants olives grow on trees. Here are some key differences between olive trees and grape vines
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Growth habit Olive trees are trees that grow up to 49 feet tall with a thick trunk and many branches. Grape vines are vining plants that grow along supports or trellises not independent trees.
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Life span: Olive trees are very long-lived, with lifespans from 300 up to 1000 years. Grape vines are much shorter lived, around 20-30 years.
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Leaves: Olive trees have silver-green oval shaped leaves. Grape vines have lobed, palm-shaped leaves.
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Flowers: In the spring, little white flowers grow on olive trees. In the summer, grape vines bloom with dense clusters of green flowers.
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Fruit: Olives are a drupe fruit with a pit, while grapes grow in clusters of berry fruits.
Although both grapes and olives are grown in the Mediterranean, they come from very different types of plants: vines and trees. Now let’s look closer at the olive tree itself.
The Olive Tree Lifecycle: From Flower to Fruit
Olive trees go through distinct growth stages on their journey from seed to fruit-bearing tree. Here are the key phases of olive tree growth:
Dormancy Period:
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In winter, olive trees become dormant to withstand cold temperatures and frost.
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Lasts 1-3 months depending on climate.
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Olive trees need consistent chill hours below 45°F during dormancy.
Sprout Growth:
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In spring, new sprouts emerge and grow rapidly on olive branches.
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Flower buds also start forming at the ends of branches.
Flowering:
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Small white olive flowers bloom, usually in May.
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Flowers only last about 1-2 weeks.
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Bees pollinate the flowers during this time.
Fruit Development:
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Flowers drop and olives start growing in June.
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Green olives slowly get bigger and fill with oil.
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Whole fruit growth process takes 2-3 months.
Ripening:
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Olives change color in fall, turning purplish-black when fully ripe.
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Ripe olives have higher oil content.
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Olives are ready for harvest in winter.
As you can see, olive trees go through a distinct seasonal cycle timed to their native Mediterranean climate. Flowering in spring, fruit growth in summer, and ripening in fall allows olives to be harvested at their peak in winter. Proper olive tree care keeps the cycle going year after year.
Caring for Olive Trees
If you want to grow your own olive tree, you’ll need to provide the right care to keep it healthy and productive. Here are some key olive tree care tips:
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Plant in well-draining soil in full sun. Amend soil with compost or manure.
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Water deeply 1-2 times per week in summer. Avoid overwatering.
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Fertilize in spring with a balanced organic fertilizer.
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Prune annually after harvest to stimulate new growth.
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Harvest olives when fully black ripe. Green olives are unripe.
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Protect from hard freezes below 15°F.
With excellent drainage, lots of sun, ample water and nutrient-rich soil, olive trees are quite easy to grow. A little yearly pruning and proper harvest timing ensures a good crop of olives.
The Takeaway: Olives Grow on Trees, Not Vines
Hopefully this article has cleared up any confusion about where olives come from. While grapes grow on vining plants, olives grow on olive trees, which go through a distinct lifecycle timed to a Mediterranean climate. With the right care, olive trees can live for centuries, producing harvest after harvest of delicious olives. So the next time you pick up a jar of olives or drizzle some olive oil, you’ll know exactly where it came from – an amazing olive tree!
Quick Care and Tips
- Plant your vines with compost, Bone meal and BioOcean. Feed throughout summer with BioOcean or BioGanic every alternate month.
- Grapes are smart about water and don’t like it when they get too much or too little during the summer. It’s very important to pick a spot with good drainage for this reason.
- All grapes need a support. The best way to grow them is to put them up a trellis or over an arch or pergola.
- In the winter, grapes are pruned very hard. In the spring, they grow new shoots, and they fruit from mid-summer to late summer.
- During our summer rainy season, look for Mildew or Rust on the leaves. These diseases will make it harder to harvest or get good fruit.
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Two of the most popular edibles to eat Olives and Grapes are just as easy to grow successfully. Both are extremely water wise and do best in a sunny spot and just as well in a large container producing fruit many years even decades to come. Both are plants for pollinators and add interest to the landscape with their leaf colours and textures.
 Our most popular Black Olive is “Mission” |
 Frantoio has a nutty flavour when pickled |
You can grow fruit trees from olive trees, and birds will come to your garden to eat them. As the tree’s hard wood can stand up to a lot of different conditions, the olive branch is a sign of peace as well as strength and survival.
Although the birds love the fruit it is possible to get some for yourself off the trees and if you dont want to harvest the fruit looks attractive on the tree too. We sell two of the most popular and best suited to our climate fruiting varieties. For green olives we recommend Spanish Queen and for Black Olives the best variety by far is Mission. The Tuscan Olive Frantoio is new to us. It is usually grown for olive oil, but it tastes great pickled and has a nutty flavor.
All are self-pollinating but for more fruit planting two or more is best, as cross pollination will increase the amount of fruit. Olive trees are most productive in with hot, dry summers and milder winter weather and while olive trees are astoundingly tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions but they dont like wet feet.
To ensure you give your olive tree the best possible start to life, just follow these tips:
- Place them where they will get the most sun, preferably facing north or west.
- Plant in soil that drains well and won’t stay soggy during the wetter months of the year. Plant in a hole that is wider than it is deep, and add bone meal and compost to help the roots grow strong.
- It’s easy to prune olive trees to keep them at the right size and shape. Light, shape-changing pruning should be done in the middle of spring, and heavier trimming should be done in early to midsummer. Like many other trees in the Mediterranean, olives need heat and time to heal before they go dormant for the winter.
- During the summer, feed your olive tree a high-nitrogen fertilizer like BioGanic or Nitrosol.
Olives do exceptionally well in containers provided they have a wide opening and that there is sufficient drainage. Use only potting soil in the container when planting as this will help with drainage. The container should be in a spot where it receives at least five or six hours a day of full sun. Fertilise the potted olive every month through summer and early autumn and then not through mid-winter.
Prune the olive after the spring buds are through and have turned into leaves. Clipping the ends will encourage a full topiary to develop. The only thing to watch out for is too much watering as they need very little in a container and keep a watch for Scale insects which sit under the leaves and on the soft stems of the plant.
 Crimson Seedless produces a lot of fruit |
 Dark red to black Catawba Grapes |
Wine grapes grow famously in the Cape wine lands and even along the Orange River, all dry places with rocky soil and little rainfall. But they will grow well in our local area where they just need something to cling to and grow around. A few things to consider and soon you will have a very rewarding and worthwhile addition to any style of garden. Find a spot where there is good air circulation around the vine. They prefer a loose soil with good drainage and as much sun as possible. Believe it or not its almost impossible to kill a grape vine. In the first year let them just grow wild and then at pruning the second year you guide and shape them into the structure that you want. Catawba is a popular dark red variety that is exceptionally vigorous grower with a very sweet taste that makes it ideal to serve fresh or for adding to your morning smoothie. Crimson Seedless has a good large size fruit and is popular as it is heavy fruit producing variety.
How Do Olives Grow?
FAQ
Do olives grow on a tree or vine?
GROWING AN OLIVE TREE. An olive is an edible fruit produced by an olive tree (Olea europaea).
Do olives grow in vineyards?
Olive trees have been planted in and around vineyards for thousands of years. Climate is one reason that grapes and olives make good companion plants. Autumn in Greece, specifically October, marks the harvest season for grapes and olives.
Can you eat olives off the vine?
It’s possible to eat any olives from the branch, but chances are they will taste intensely bitter. May 22, 2023.
Do olives and grapes grow together?
They’re not even close to the same plant, olives grow on trees. Grapes grow on vines.
Do olive trees grow on trees?
A lot of people ask us if olives grow on trees. The answer is yes, you CAN grow olive tree plants! It’s easy and very rewarding to grow olive trees in your backyard or in a pot. Learn how to plant an olive tree with this Olive Tree Planting Guide; it will lead you in the right direction for a healthy and thriving fruit tree!.
Can olive trees grow in subtropical zones?
Olive trees grow best in subtropical zones. Even if the conditions are good, though, insects, diseases, bad weather, and time can weaken the olive tree and kill the olives or the tree itself.
Can olive trees grow back from the roots?
Even when chopped to the ground, olive trees easily sprout back. They are quite easy to grow and are long-lived with a life expectancy of 500 years. Olive trees, decorated with green olive fruits, are very persistent and have been enchanting our gardens for centuries.
What conditions are necessary for olive trees to grow?
For the full olive life cycle to happen, the tree must be in a number of good external and internal conditions. For instance, the olives require adequate space, water, nutrients, and enough sunlight for their successful growth. Olive trees grow best in subtropical zones.
Where can I get an olive tree?
If you’re looking to add more trees to your orchard or replace a neglected olive tree, the best places to get them are your local nursery or an online nursery. One of the most reliable and the world’s largest online nurseries is Fast Growing Trees.
Where do olives grow?
To produce olives, the Arbequina olive tree requires at least 300 chill hours; that is, 300 hours below about 45°F in the wintertime, making it well adapted for in-ground cultivation in United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 7B-11 (find your USDA zone).