Indoor Olive Trees
Olive trees have been cultivated for thousands of years for their fruit and the oil made from it. If you love olives or simply love the look of the green-gray foliage, you may dream of growing olive trees too. Olive trees come from the Mediterranean region though, where the weather is toasty. While they can be cultivated in USDA zones 8 and warmer, they are not happy if the temperature drops below 20 degrees F. (-7 C.). If your climate puts you out of the running for olives outdoors, consider growing indoor olive trees. If you keep a potted olive tree indoors for the winter, you can move the plant outdoors as summer arrives.
Growing Olive Houseplants
Can you really use olive trees as houseplants? You can, and many people are doing just that. Growing a potted olive tree indoors has become popular. One reason people are taking to olive trees as houseplants is that caring for olive trees inside is easy. These trees tolerate dry air and dry soil too, making it an easy-care houseplant. The trees are attractive too. The branches are covered with narrow, gray-green leaves that have furry undersides. Summer brings clusters of small, creamy flowers, followed by ripening olives. If you are thinking of growing olive houseplants, you may wonder how the tree, maturing to some 20 feet (6 m.), will fit in your kitchen or living room. However, when the trees are grown in a container, you can keep them smaller. Prune back olive trees in spring when new growth begins. Clipping the longer branches encourages new growth. In any event, it’s a good idea to use dwarf olive trees as potted plants. They only grow to 6 feet (2 m.) tall, and you can also trim these to keep them compact.
