The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Humans have grown, harvested, and enjoyed olives for thousands of years.

Olive trees are valued for their fruits and the oil they produce.

However, not all olive trees bear fruit.

olive tree

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

“Fruitless” olive treesare sterile.

They flower and are ornamental but rarely produce viable fruits.

These versatile trees love full sun and can handle occasional cold snaps.

Young Arbequina olive tree in a planter

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Some varieties grow tall, while others are suitable for container growing.

But you’ll find only a few types available at your local garden center or through online retailers.

Olive trees are not grown from seed.

A mix of mission olives

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They’re either started from root or branch cuttings or aregraftedonto other rootstock or trees.

Olive trees tend to beself-pollinating, but planting two varieties will improve pollination and productivity.

When compared to other drupe fruits, olives are relatively low in sugar and high in oil content.

Picholine olives soaking in brine

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All olives start green and gradually ripen to a darker brown, reddish-purple, or black.

The riper the olive, the darker the color.

Ripeness also affects the flavor and texture.

Branch full of green Manzanilla olives

Thanatham Piriyakarnjanakul / Getty images

Green olives retain a firm texture and a fruity, nutty flavor.

As olives ripen, they soften to a meaty texture and a more complex flavor.

The fruits don’t all ripen simultaneously, making harvesting labor-intensive.

Harvesting Amfissa olives

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They also can be dry-cured in salt, rinsed, and cured in olive oil.

There are other curing methods, but they’re normally used in commercial operations, not at home.

Here are varieties of fruiting olive trees that are often available in the United States.

Cured green Nocellara Del Belice olives

couleur / Pixabay

It can start fruiting within two years, although it can take up to four years before it fruits.

Mission

Mission (Olea europaea’Mission') olives are more cold-tolerant than most olive trees.

They take three to seven years to mature for fruiting.

Green Gordal Sevillano olives on a tree

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The olives are harvested green for eating but can ripen to black if used for oil.

It usually takes a tree about five years before it produces fruit.

They’re brine-cured and often stuffed with pimientos or tossed with olive oil and garlic.

Brown Kalamata olives in liquid

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They usually take two to four years before they produce fruits.

It’s popular as a small shade tree and for its tasty olives.

Amfissa

Hailing from central Greece, Amfissa (Olea europaea’Amfissa') olive trees produce brownish-purple drupes.

Ripe black Niçoise olives on a branch

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Thesefast-growing treeshave a spreading growth habit and produce fruit in three to four years.

Some olives, like Leccinos, have elongated silvery leaves, while Arbequinas have dark green, oval-shaped leaves.

Similarly, the look of the fruits is another indicator.

Black Frantoio olives on branches

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Leccino olives are oval-shaped, medium-sized, and dark green when ripe.

On the contrary, Arbequinas are small, round, and reddish-brown when ripe.

The flesh is quite soft, and olives are often stuffed with pimientos, cheese, or fruit.

closeup of black olives on tree against blue sky

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Olive trees have an attractivewillow-likeappearance that works well in landscapes.

With age, the trunk becomes gracefully gnarled.

Kalamata

One of the most familiar olives is the Kalamata (Olea europea’Kalamata').

Closeup of cailletier olives

INRA DIST from France / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

These popular Greek olives have an almond shape and shiny dark-purple skin.

You’ll often find them preserved in olive oil or sometimes in red wine or red wine vinegar.

The trees have a typical upright spreading habit, with leaves somewhat larger than most olive tree varieties.

Koroneiki olives on olive tree

Panagiotis Maravelis / Getty Images

However, it doesn’t do well in extremely hot conditions.

It usually bears fruit within four to five years.

Edible olives appear within two years.

This fast-growing tree has attractivesilvery foliagethat adds visual interest to any landscape.

Edible olives are produced in just one to two years.

They can be grown in the ground or containers and are a heavy olive producer within two years.

When grown outdoors, they’re hardy down to 20 degrees and are drought tolerant.

Before fruiting, these trees require cross-pollinating with another tree, like an Arbequina.

Expect this tree to produce black table olives within two to four years.

The oil tastes like almond and hazelnut.

If considering this tree, look for a nursery that uses pest and disease resistance cultivars.

These trees tolerate drought and humidity.

Many Koroneiki begin producing fruit after three years.

Read More

According to the International Olive Council, there are currently 139 olive varieties.

However, hundreds, if not thousands, of cultivars might have existed over many millennia.

Arbequina olive trees are self-pollinating and grow smaller than some other types.

They don’t need much beyond some water once a week.

For fruiting trees, they are low maintenance.

However, non-fruiting olive trees are even lower maintenance since they do not drop fruit requiring cleanup.

Olive tree fruit production depends on the variety.

Texas Fruit and Nut Production: Olives.Texas A&M Agrilife Extension

Olea europaea.North Carolina Extension Gardener