The olive plant, scientifically known as Olea europaea, is an ancient broadleaf evergreen species native to the Mediterranean basin, recognized for its longevity and distinct appearance. As an evergreen, it maintains its foliage year-round. Understanding the physical description of the olive tree involves examining its foundational structure, unique foliage, and the reproductive cycle that yields its celebrated fruit.
The Distinct Appearance of the Mature Olive Tree
The trunk of a mature olive tree transforms significantly over its long lifespan. Initially smooth and gray when young, the bark gradually becomes rough, deeply fissured, and often a mix of gray and brown hues as the tree ages. This process causes the trunk to become thick, twisted, and gnarled, giving each tree an irregular, sculptural character.
The overall silhouette is typically a rounded or sprawling crown, though this can be heavily influenced by pruning practices. A mature tree can reach heights between 20 and 50 feet, with its branches tending to spread widely, creating a dense canopy. The wood itself is yellowish and becomes darker toward the center, contributing to the tree’s robust structure.
Detailed Look at the Foliage
The leaves of the olive tree provide the canopy with a distinctive, shimmering appearance. The leaves are small, typically growing up to four inches long, and are lanceolate, meaning they are elongated and spear-shaped. They grow opposite one another along the stems and have a leathery texture.
The foliage is bicolor, which creates the tree’s signature silver-green color. The upper surface of the leaf is grayish-green or dark green, while the underside is covered in fine, silvery-white hairs. When a breeze moves through the canopy, this contrast is exposed, making the whole tree appear to flash with a silvery sheen.
Flowers, Fruit, and Color Changes
The olive tree’s reproductive cycle begins with small, often inconspicuous flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer. These flowers are creamy white or off-white, slightly fragrant, and appear in loose clusters called panicles or racemes. Though the tree produces a high volume of flowers, only a small percentage (typically between 1% and 10%) are successfully fertilized to become fruit.
The fruit is a drupe, a type of fleshy fruit with a hard, stony pit, and it begins to form in early summer. Initially, the olives are small, hard, and uniformly green. Throughout the summer, the fruit grows in size.
A stage known as veraison begins in the autumn, marking the start of color change and ripening. During veraison, the fruit transitions from green through stages of yellowish or pinkish tones, often darkening through shades of garnet, deep red, or purple. When fully mature, the olive typically ripens to a purplish-black color. Some varieties may remain green or turn a copper-brown when ripe. The size, shape, and final color of the olive vary depending on the specific cultivar and the desired stage of ripeness for harvest.