Latin name: Olea europaea

Common name: common olive

Abbr: Oeu

Taxonomy: Oleaceae/Oleeae/Olea

References: NCBI:txid4146

Level: Chromosome

Chromosome number: 2n=2X=46

Genome size: 1257.2Mb

Introduction: Olea europaea, commonly called common olive, is an evergreen tree that is native to the Mediterranean region. It typically grows to 20-30’ tall with a rounded crown. Young trees have smooth gray bark, but trunks and branches will gnarl somewhat picturesquely with age. Opposite, elliptic to lance shaped leaves (to 3” long) are gray-green above and silver-green beneath. Very small white flowers bloom in panicles (to 2” long) in summer on stems from the leaf axils. Flowers are fragrant. Flowers give way to oval green drupes (olives to 1.5” long) which ripen to black. Each olive contains a single pit. Olives from this species are commercially harvested as eating olives and for production of olive oils. A large number of different commercial varieties are grown for fruit production.

Uses: Where winter hardy, they can be grown as ornamentals and/or for fruit production. Climate must be proper for good fruit production. Where not winter hardy, grow in greenhouses or conservatories or in containers that are overwintered in cool indoor locations.

Type: Fruit

Native Range: Mediterranean

Bloom Time: June to July

Bloom Description: White

Flower: Showy, Fragrant

Leaf: Evergreen

Literature: De novo assembly of a new Olea europaea genome accession using nanopore sequencing

Information sources: PlantFinder