Bambalina Olive

Bambalina olive (Olea europaea 'Bambalina') is a dwarf olive for gardens with no room for the real thing. It reaches about 2.5m tall and 1.5m wide, roughly half the size of a standard olive, with the same silver grey foliage and the same indifference to heat, drought and poor soil. Planted a metre apart it clips into a low formal hedge, and in a large pot it makes a small evergreen tree that will outlive the furniture around it.

Why you'll love it

• Mediterranean character at courtyard scale. Silver foliage and a gnarled trunk on a plant that tops out at 2.5m, so it suits a townhouse garden or balcony.
• Very little troubles it. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, frost hardy, salt tolerant and content in poor soil. One of the toughest evergreens we sell.
• It takes clipping. Shape it as a hedge, ball, standard or loose shrub. It reshoots from old wood, so mistakes grow out.
• Pet friendly and edible. Safe around cats and dogs, and it sets a light crop of fruit each year.
• Built for containers. A modest root system, low water needs and no seasonal leaf drop.

Where it works best

Pots and balconies. A 500mm pot holds one comfortably for years. Two matched plants either side of a doorway is the classic use, and unlike a full sized olive they stay in proportion.

Low formal hedging and topiary. Plant 1m apart for a clipped hedge. At that spacing it closes into a continuous silver line at 1.2m to 1.5m, or let it run to its full 2.5m. Balls, cones and standards hold their shape with two trims a year.

Growing Bambalina olive in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day, because shade produces thin open growth and no fruit. It suits Mediterranean, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid or semi arid gardens: Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, inland New South Wales and the southern tablelands. It is frost hardy. Humid subtropical and tropical gardens are its weak point, where fungal leaf problems set in.

Soil. Drainage is the one thing it insists on. It grows happily in poor, rocky, alkaline ground but will not tolerate soil that stays wet. On clay, plant on a raised mound and resist over improving the bed.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Pots need twice a week over summer. Feed lightly in early spring, since too much nitrogen gives leaf at the expense of fruit.

Pruning. Trim after harvest in late autumn or winter, and lightly in summer if you are holding a formal shape. It shoots from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as 200mm packs of six, single 300mm plants, and advanced 45L, 75L and 150L stock. The 200mm multipack is the sensible choice for a hedge if you can wait a couple of seasons. The 300mm suits a large pot straight away, and the 45L and larger sizes arrive as formed small trees.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Olives sulk briefly after transplanting and may shed a few leaves. Keep the water up for the first month, then ease back. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare olive varieties for fruit and hedging
• Browse edible and fruiting trees
• See more hedging and screening options

Common questions

Can I eat the olives?

Yes, once cured. Bambalina fruits lightly compared with a commercial variety, and raw olives are inedibly bitter, so the crop needs brining or dry salting first.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer spacing crowds the roots without closing the hedge any faster.

Will it grow in a pot long term?

Yes, and it is one of the best long term pot plants in the range. Use a 500mm or larger container with a free draining mix and refresh the top of the mix each spring.

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.