Olive tree

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

The olive (Olea europaea) is a long-lived tree that reaches 5-15 m in the ground, but it is one of the classic large pot plants: kept in a tub and lightly clipped, it makes a beautiful, drought-tough evergreen for a hot, sunny balcony, patio or terrace for many years. It is not a houseplant – it needs full sun outdoors.

Quick Details

• Container Size: Large tub, 30-50 L or more, sized up as the tree grows
• Indoor Suitability: Not a houseplant; a bright, cool sunroom at most – it needs full sun
• Best Spot: Full sun, outdoors – the hotter and brighter the better
• Soil & Drainage: Free-draining, gritty mix; it dislikes wet, heavy soil
• Watering in Pots: Water sparingly but deeply; let the top of the mix dry between waterings

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Houseplant limits: The grower marks it as not an indoor plant – indoor light is far too weak, and a warm room in winter denies it the cool rest it needs.
• Windowsill / cool room: At most, a young potted olive can spend cold spells in a bright, cool, frost-free sunroom or by the sunniest window, then go straight back outside in spring.
• Overwintering: In climates too cold for it outdoors, growing in a pot lets you move the tree into a bright, frost-free but unheated space over winter.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: Give it the hottest, sunniest, airiest spot you have – it thrives on the fast-drying conditions of a sunny balcony. Reflected heat from walls and railings suits it, but check the pot in the peak of summer so it never bakes bone dry for long.
• Practicalities: Make sure the filled pot’s weight is safe for the balcony and that water drains away freely rather than sitting in the base.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A large, heavy-based tub with strong drainage holes; never leave it in a saucer of water. Terracotta suits it, breathing and drying faster than plastic.
• Potting mix: A gritty, free-draining mix – potting soil with added perlite, grit or coarse sand.
• Feeding: Feed lightly through the growing season; potted trees leach nutrients faster than those in the ground, but olives dislike being overfed.
• Repotting: Pot up or refresh the top of the mix every couple of years, trimming the roots and shaping the head to keep it in scale with the tub.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
• Time to First Bloom: Usually about 3-5 years from planting
• Flower Appearance: Small creamy yellow-green flowers carried in clusters (panicles)
• Edibility: The flower is not eaten – the olive is grown for its fruit

Detailed Blooming Overview

An olive in flower is easy to miss up close but unmistakable from a distance, when the whole canopy softens with tiny cream blossoms. A single tree opens thousands of flowers and only a small fraction ever set fruit – that is completely normal.

Flower Characteristics

• Small yellow-green flowers held in short clusters along the shoots.
• Very numerous; most drop after flowering while a few go on to become olives.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Thinning: In the first couple of years the grower recommends thinning the bloom so the young tree puts its energy into growth rather than a heavy early crop.
• Pollination: Olive is mainly wind-pollinated; a nearby second variety improves fruit set even on self-fertile trees.
• Alternate bearing: Olives tend to swing between a heavy year and a light year – thinning in a heavy year evens this out.