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Olea europaea Grossanne - Olive Tree

Olea europaea Grossanne
European Olive, Olive Tree

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More information

A self-fertile variety of olive tree mainly cultivated for the production of table olives or oil. It produces large ovate olives. Harvested green, its olive yields a non-bitter oil with a light fruity flavour. When harvested black, at full ripeness, it ferments quickly. The tree is robust and highly resistant to cold (-12/-15°C), wind, and summer drought.  
Height at maturity
3 m
Spread at maturity
2 m
Exposure
Sun
Self-fertilising
Best planting time March to April, October
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November
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Flowering time June
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Harvest time November
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Description

The 'Olive tree or Olea europaea 'Grossanne', also known as 'Groussan' is native to the Baux de Provence valley. It is a self-fertile variety that is rather early, appreciated for its hardiness and robustness. The tree produces oval-shaped olives of a good size, which can be used both as table olives and for oil production. The olives can be harvested while still green or when fully ripe and black in November. The 'Grossanne' can withstand short frosts of around -12 to -15°C in well-drained soil. However, like all olive trees, it needs a long warm period between summer and autumn to ripen its fruits.

Do not buy an old subject that has been uprooted without care from its native soil: it will take 5 or 10 years to recover or perish. Instead, plant a young olive tree that is "happy in its pot", water it regularly for the first two or three summers, and you will be surprised at how quickly it grows!

The presence of Olea europaea, simply called Olive, all around the Mediterranean, dates back to ancient times, to the flood, one could say. Both an ornamental tree and a food tree, it is inseparable from the Mediterranean landscape, just like the fig tree, the holm oak, the Provence cypress 'Pyramidalis', the pomegranate, and the grapevine. This emblematic tree has given its name to the botanical family Oleaceae.

Olea europaea 'Grossane' has a characteristic olive tree silhouette, with a rather short trunk that becomes twisted with age, topped by a widely rounded canopy that can be shaped through pruning. Eventually, after many years, it reaches a height of 3 to 4 m with a spread of 2 to 3 m. Its growth is rather slow. Its evergreen foliage consists of opposite, entire, elliptical leaves that are leathery and covered with scale-like hairs, more or less narrow, measuring 3 to 7 cm in length. They cover branches dotted with overlapping scales. Their colour is a mix of green and grey, with the undersides of the leaves being fuzzy and silvery. The brief  flowering occurs during one week between March and May, depending on the climate. The white or yellowish flowers are grouped in axillary panicles. The fruits, the olives, are fleshy, oval drupes with hard stones, green and then turning violet to black when ripe. They have an extremely bitter taste and are not edible as they are: they need to undergo processing or a very long ripening period off the tree before consumption. This fruiting occurs after ten years. The bark of this olive tree is grey and smooth when young and cracks with age, while the tree produces shoots at the base of the trunk.

The 'Grossane' olive is larger than those of other varieties which is how it got its name. Its flesh is pulpy and relatively soft. Enthusiasts will say that its oil is mild and fruity, while experts will say that it has a "black fruity" flavour with notes of almond. It is also described, in the case of green fruity, as having "oil without pungency or bitterness, with a light fruity flavour with hints of grapefruit and tomato". "In the case of black fruity, this olive ferments quickly and, when combined with other varieties, it contributes to enhancing the aromatic profile with notes of candied fruits and jam without causing a significant increase in acidity."

The 'Grossane' olive tree is very resistant to drought and it prefers well-drained, even rocky soils. However, it cannot tolerate humid and very cold winters. However, fans of this small tree can still adopt it in a large container, protecting it from severe cold in winter.

The 'Grossane' olive tree naturally finds a place in a Mediterranean garden, orchard, or near a terrace. When planted as a solitary specimen, it adds character to the garden. Avoid planting it in a regularly watered lawn in summer, as it is not suitable. A climbing rose such as 'Alberic Barbier', 'Albertine', 'Felicia', or 'Senator Lafolette' is often planted at the base of an olive tree in the south. Although it may not aid harvesting (in November), they form a charming and elegant duo when the rose is in bloom. Further north, it is best to cultivate it next to oleanders in large containers that can be sheltered in winter.

A very old tree: the Olive tree, named "The King of Kings" in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the Alpes-Maritimes region, has a trunk with a circumference of 20m, encompassing the surrounding rocks; it is estimated to be 1000 to 2000 years old.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 3 m
Spread at maturity 2 m
Growth rate normal

Fruit

Fruit colour green
Use Table, Jam, Cooking
Harvest time November

Flowering

Flower colour insignificant
Flowering time June
Inflorescence Panicle
Fragrance slightly scented, Perfume evoking the bitter almond, honey.
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour grey or silver

Safety measures

Potential risks Plant that can cause phototoxic reaction after contact with the skin followed by exposure to sunlight (phytophotodermatitis)

Botanical data

Genus

Olea

Species

europaea

Cultivar

Grossanne

Family

Oleaceae

Other common names

European Olive, Olive Tree

Botanical synonyms

Olea europea Groussan

Origin

Mediterranean

Product reference20809

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Planting and care

The 'Grossanne' Olive tree is best planted in spring in areas with borderline hardiness, as young plants are particularly sensitive to cold, while well-established specimens that are a few years old can withstand short frosts of around -12 to -15°C. If you plant the olive tree in open ground, dig a hole around the tree. Do not plant it in the middle of the lawn, as it would suffer from regular watering, which would cause asphyxiation and root rot. The olive tree is content with ordinary soil, even limestone and stony soil, but above all it needs to be permeable and well-drained. It can tolerate summer drought perfectly, sometimes at the expense of the harvest. It also requires a sunny location sheltered from cold winds, especially outside the area where it is traditionally grown.

In an orchard, leave a spacing of 2.50m between each tree.

For an olive tree grown in a pot, place a draining layer of soil, sand, and small stones at the bottom. Repot every 2 or 3 years.

Use a 2.50m tall stake to ensure an upright habit for the tree as it grows. Adjust the height of the stake according to the size of your olive tree in the case of pot cultivation.

Diseases and pests: there are many, but rarely fatal.

The Olive fly, mainly troublesome for fruit production. Thrips, black scale, often accompanied by sooty mould. Bark beetles, moths, spirals.

With one exception, a fungal disease called root rot that attacks the roots and then spreads throughout the branches, olive tree diseases are not lethal and can be easily treated or disappear on their own.

Planting period

Best planting time March to April, October
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Free-standing, Container, Orchard
Region concerned Zone méditerranéenne, dite de l’olivier
Hardiness Hardy down to -15°C (USDA zone 7b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Planting spacing Every 250 cm
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained), Ordinary, well-drained soil

Care

Pruning instructions Prune the olive tree at least once a year, outside of the freezing and flowering periods, in March, April or May. Training pruning of a young subject will strengthen the trunk. The maintenance pruning, known as fruiting pruning, takes place once a year, as it harmonises the tree and increases the yield. The specific pruning called "Mediterranean pruning" promotes the significant production of olives. Remove the branches in the centre of the tree to favour the sun exposure of the fruits. But the sun often causes severe burns to the bark of the tree, so it will be necessary to position the trunk in the shade. The pruning of an olive tree intended for ornament is the same as the training pruning of the production olive tree.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March to May
Soil moisture Dry
Disease resistance Average
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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