Arbequina Olive Tree

The Arbequina Olive (Olea europaea 'Arbequina') is the Spanish olive that made home groves fashionable: naturally compact at about 5m by 4m, self fertile, and one of the earliest and heaviest croppers you can plant. The small fruit press into a famously smooth, buttery oil and brine beautifully. Add silver foliage, non invasive roots and a constitution that handles frost, drought, salt and poor soil, and it may be the most liveable productive tree in the catalogue.

Why you'll love it

• Fruit young, fruit heavy. Arbequina begins cropping years earlier than most olives and keeps producing generously, with one tree enough for a household.
• The manageable olive. Naturally smaller and softer in habit than the big Italian varieties, easily held at 3m and famously happy in a large pot.
• Pet friendly and safe near paving. Non invasive roots and no toxicity concerns, a rare combination in a productive tree.
• Almost anywhere in Australia. Mediterranean, warm temperate, subtropical and dry inland climates all suit it, with real frost hardiness once established.
• Oil worth the name. The variety behind the mild, buttery Spanish oils; even a small harvest presses or brines into something worth bragging about.

Where it works best

Feature planting. A single Arbequina on a mound or in a gravel bed brings the Mediterranean look at house friendly scale.

Pots and courtyards. In a 60cm pot it stays compact for years, cropping on a sunny terrace and moving house with you.

Driveways and boundary rows. Planted 4m apart it makes a productive silver avenue or informal screen.

Coastal gardens. Salt wind is no obstacle; olives thrive where the sea view kills softer trees.

Growing the Arbequina Olive in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It crops best with some winter chill but is more forgiving of mild winters than most varieties, making it the top olive pick for subtropical gardens.

Soil. Anything that drains, from sand to stony ground to alkaline soils. Mound plant on heavy clay.

Water and feed. Deep, infrequent soaks for the first two summers, then rainfall carries it. A deep drink while fruit fills improves the harvest. Feed lightly in early spring; overfeeding grows leaves instead of olives.

Pruning. Prune after harvest to an open vase so light reaches the fruiting wood, and to hold your chosen size. It responds so well that Arbequina is even used for clipped productive hedges.

What to expect when it arrives

Arbequina is stocked as 400mm trees ready to establish quickly, plus landmark 400L and 500L ex ground specimens for instant grove effect (grown and lifted to order, shown as backorder; we confirm timing and specialist freight with you first, and large stock is freighted at cost). Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95,. A 400mm tree typically offers its first meaningful crop within two to three years. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Olive tree care guide
• Browse all olive trees
• Plants safe for pets

Common questions

Do I need a second tree?

No. Arbequina is reliably self fertile, and it is also a superb pollination partner if you later add Frantoio or Kalamata.

How soon will it fruit?

Earlier than almost any olive: light crops often appear within two years of planting a 400mm tree, building to heavy annual harvests as it matures.

Can I really grow it in a pot long term?

Yes, it is the best major olive variety for containers. A 60cm pot, full sun, sparse feeding and an annual prune keep it fruiting at 2m for a decade or more.

What do I do with the olives?

Brine them (water cure for a few weeks, then salt brine) or press them if you have volume. Raw olives are inedibly bitter, and curing is simpler than most people expect.

Western Australia: this plant is listed as an environmental weed in WA, where it escapes from gardens into bushland. We do not recommend it for WA gardens. Please choose a local alternative.