I am considering buying a large specimen of an Olive Tree. It will be planted in the front garden so will be generally exposed to whatever weather conditions are there. Conditions underfoot are good and not prone to waterlogging. I am not concerned about producing fruit but wondering how an Olive tree will fare in our climate. I’ve noticed a lot of garden centres stocking these now.
1 Answers
The olive is tougher than it is given credit for … but winters in recent years have been milder too. The natural northern range of the olive is the south of France but this relates to the climatic conditions over many decades.
 There are quite a number of specimens in Irish gardens, planted in recent years, and mostly growing very well. If you are reasonably near the coast, say a few kilometres, there is a good chance that it will survive for decades. Inland areas are colder and the plant is at more risk.
Having said that … older plants are more frost-resistant because they have thicker bark. Olive is quite wind resistant with tough grey leaves but not salt-gales. And it is a pretty tree in gardens… very evocative!