Please note. Xyella fastidiosa: Due to the concerns expressed by UK Plant Health (Defra) regarding this bacterium disease, we have decided to suspend the importation of all Olive species until otherwise advised. This is a precautionary measure which we are sure our customers will understand.

A choice of Olive trees available to buy to suit your budget. Olea europaea (Olive tree) is a wonderful ornamental edition to any garden. Olives are a Mediterranean tree and therefore need a certain amount of sunshine and heat in the calendar year. Olea Europaea is however, a very hardy and resilient tree which is reputed to live for thousands of years in its native climate, often on the slopes of a mountain range surviving in poor soils.

Olives are available in many shapes and sizes at King and Co, as a mini standard, as a half standard, as a full standard tree or as a very old gnarly specimen. The most popular shape of olive that we sell is known as “Tuscan Style”, where the centre limbs are removed to allow plenty of light in and the remaining branches are easily accessible for harvesting the fruit.

Olives in the UK will produce fruit, but only in the hottest of summers here will it ripen. In Southern England frost during the winter will not usually damage the trees down to around -7 or 8 degrees. However, it is not generally known that there are several different cultivars available and we only cultivate the hardiest of them.

Trees can be kept in large containers for decoration, but will require some irrigation during the summer and additionally a suitable feed. Prolonged cold spells may result in a leaf drop, but in any case hard pruning (50%) every three years is seen as a very desirable maintenance regime.