What Olive Tree Does Well by the Coast?

Growing Olives in Coastal Conditions

• Olives need sufficient heat to ripen their fruit, but this does not mean you cannot grow them successfully on the coast as an ornamental tree. They grow well as ornamentals in cool and moist coastal areas, such as the foggy Northern California coastline where summer highs hover in the 60's. However, many of California's coastal valleys have temperatures in the 80's and 90's throughout the summer and support high fruit production. Olives are tolerant of sandy soil and salt spray, making them ideal coastal specimens in many respects.

Fruitless Olives

• If fruit is not desired or cool, coastal conditions are not conducive to fruit production, there are olive varieties that are intended strictly as ornamentals. The "Monher" olive (Olea europea "Monher") is a fruitless variety growing to 25 feet tall and wide. It makes an excellent patio tree with its rounded canopy and none of the messy fruit drop of other olives that can permanently stain paved surfaces. "Montra" (Olea europea "Montra") is a dwarf fruitless olive, growing only 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. This unusual olive can be used as an evergreen hedge or topiary.

Early-Ripening Varieties

• Because coastal areas tend to be a little cooler than inland regions, early-ripening varieties are more likely to ripen fully. "Sevillano" (Olea europea "Sevillano") is a very early variety with extra large fruit -- making it one of the best for home-made pickled olives. "Manzanillo" (Olea europea "Manzanillo") is one of the least bitter olives and typically bears well in warm coastal areas. "Rubra" (Olea europea "Rubra") also ripens early, but also bears early, usually in its second year. The fruit is smaller, but the "Rubra" is particularly vigorous and hardy.

Classic "Mission" Olives

• Olives in cool coastal conditions that cannot ripen completely before the weather turns cool, can be harvested when immature and are just as edible after curing. Green olives are not a distinct variety, but are simply picked before they are fully ripe. "Mission" (Olea europea "Mission") is one of the most widely planted varieties in coastal California. This olive was planted by Spanish monks as they established outposts in the California frontier in the 1700's. The trees grow to 35 feet in height and produce copious quantities of medium sized fruit. It ripens perfectly in all but the cooler coastal areas.