Olea europaea

The olive tree, Olea europaea, is an attractive, slow-growing evergreen of Mediterranean origin. It forms a rounded head of small, silver-grey leaves and is tolerant of hot, dry conditions. Tiny creamy-white flowers appear in summer, followed by small, round green olives that ripen to black.

In the Mediterranean olive trees are cultivated widely for their fruits. In the UK they're not fully hardy and require a warm, sheltered spot to thrive. Alternatively grow olive trees in large pots and move them into the shelter of a cool greenhouse over the winter months.