the olive tree & its fruit The olive is an evergreen tree
growing to c. 15 metres in height, with a spread of c. 10
metres. The tree can be kept to about 6 metres with regular
pruning. They are long lived with a life expectancy of 500
years. They are also extremely tenacious and will easily
resprout even when chopped to the ground. They can be very
distinctive and attractive trees due to their graceful,
billowing appearance, greyish foliage and gnarled trunks and
branches. The olives feather shaped leaves grow opposite one
another. Their skin is rich in tannin, giving the mature leaf
its grey-green appearance. The leaves are replaced every two or
three years , with leaf fall usually occuring at the same time
new growth appears in the spring. The olive tree needs a long,
hot growing season to properly ripen its fruit, no late spring
frosts to kill the blossoms and sufficient winter chill to
ensure fruit set. Although trees can withstand temperatures as
low as 12 degrees Fahrenheit, unripe, green fruit is damag