Friday, 19 July 2013

favourite plant in the yard this week.

My weekly favourite is somewhat of an all time favourite ... olea leccino. I have long been a fan of olive trees and this one is a true gem. Being a Tuscan cultivator, it has the ability to handle a decent amount of cold. I planted this tree well over a year ago and it has seemed to be a pretty quick grower for me.

Here are some of the developing olives. I have no fantasized notions of table olives at this point, but I just think its pretty darn cool!

It tends to have a nice upright habit at this point. Though I did pretty significant trim to the lower branches earlier this spring.

Look at that luscious foliage!

The details: Hardy in USDA zone 8, evergreen, up to 20ft ... sounds perfect to me!
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12 comments:

  1. outlawgardener19 July 2013 at 10:31

    Cool olive Louis. Hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. Louis19 July 2013 at 14:29

      Thanks, outlaw! Besides work things are shaping up to be pretty exciting. I'm thinking mexican food in vancouver and camping on sunday night after work! How about you? Anything exciting?

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  2. Shirley19 July 2013 at 18:32

    That is a nice olive. Arbequina is most common here. I would like to have one for its silvery foliage but they get so large around here that I'm not sure we could manage it.

    Heather has Little Ollie but they don't produce olives. Decisions, decisions... Mexican food in Vancouver would depend on where they source their ingredients. I have found both surprisingly good and equally dreadful Mexican food outside the native range.

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    1. Louis20 July 2013 at 19:24

      The idea of an olive tree getting too large is wonderful!! It's still somewhat tender here in a harsh winter. But of all the olives, Tuscan cultivators should do best. I also grow arbequina in a pot. They are beautiful trees! I happen to love the little Ollie ones!!

      I agree with you on the Mexican, Vancouver is pretty foodie and usually really fresh and wonderful, unfortunately, plans changed. It looks like an excessive amount of bing cherries instead!!

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  3. Nic20 July 2013 at 03:50

    Olive trees are just lovely. Sadly we are decidedly outside their hardiness range, but even the tiny one I keep in a pot on a cool south-facing windowsill at my parents' place regularly flowers and tries to set fruit.

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    1. Louis20 July 2013 at 19:26

      Aren't they great?! I totally agree that it's worth wintering one inside if you must.

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  4. danger garden20 July 2013 at 09:38

    I think I need to get an olive tree...

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    1. Louis20 July 2013 at 19:33

      An olive tree in the danger garden would be wonderful. I was actually thinking of you today and wondering if Portland is consistently mild enough for acacia dealbata?

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  5. MulchMaid23 July 2013 at 07:35

    Now I'm wondering if I need O. leccino for the garden, instead of O. arbequina. I thought arbequina was one of the hardiest, but I've killed three, so that doesn't say much for their hardiness (or maybe my care of them?) Do you think it makes a big difference if you start with a larger sapling?

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    1. Louis24 July 2013 at 08:41

      Hi, Jane. That is interesting to hear about your Arbequina olives. I always thought they were comparable in terms of hardiness. I have grown one in a pot for a few years with good success just pulling it into the shed on cold nights. When I picked leccino I had read an article from the folks at the oregon olives web site. If you scroll down on this link you will read of a leccino tree completely defoliating and taking temperatures of 12F but recovering by august the following year: http://www.oregonolivetrees.com/index_files/Introduction.htm

      Another good resource is the Saturna Island Olive Consortium:
      http://olivetrees.ca/cultivar-descriptions/

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    2. MulchMaid27 July 2013 at 08:21

      My olives were all in the ground and the winters I killed them we had severely cold winds. I covered them with remay, but it apparently wasn't enough. I may yet try again, so thanks for that link, Louis.

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    3. Louis27 July 2013 at 10:26

      No problem, Jane. From what it looks like the Tuscan varieties are all worth trying. I'm glad last winter was mild. I'm hoping that will help with my leccino being well established and ready for old man winter.... But I choose to believe for another year of summer!!

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