Correggiolo Olive

Correggiolo Olive (Olea europaea 'Correggiolo') is one of the classic Tuscan oil varieties, and it doubles as a hard working ornamental tree. It reaches about 5m tall and 3.5m wide, with silver grey foliage that holds all year and a trunk that gnarls handsomely with age. The roots are non invasive, so unlike most trees this size it can go near paving and services.

Why you'll love it

• Silver foliage that never drops. Evergreen, so the screening and the colour hold through winter, and the grey tone sits well against render and stone.
• An edible crop. Small oil olives ripen in autumn. They need curing before eating, and a mature tree gives you enough to bother with.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Non invasive and shallow spreading, making it one of the safer 5m trees near a driveway or boundary wall.
• Built for hard conditions. Drought, salt wind, poor soil and frost are all handled once established. Very few trees tick all four.

Where it works best

Driveways and avenues. Matched pairs or a formal row are the obvious use. Plant 3m apart for a continuous row, or stretch to 5m to let each tree show its shape.

Screening and privacy. At 3m spacing the canopies meet and give a light, filtered screen rather than a solid wall, which suits a boundary that still needs airflow.

Coastal gardens and pots. It takes front line salt exposure, and in a 600mm pot it holds at around 2m to 2.5m for years as a courtyard specimen.

Growing Correggiolo Olive in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. It suits Mediterranean, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid gardens, and it is frost hardy once established. Fruit set depends on winter chill, so in warm humid districts grow it for the foliage and treat any crop as a bonus.

Soil. Free draining and not too rich. Olives do well on rocky, alkaline and poor ground, and resent wet feet more than anything else. On clay, plant high on a raised mound with gravel worked through.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then only in extended dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is plenty; overfeeding produces soft growth and less oil.

Pruning. Prune in late winter, before the spring flush. Open the centre so light reaches the inner wood, since olives fruit on the previous season's growth. Remove basal suckers each year or the tree loses its single trunk.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in two sizes: a 300mm pot and a 90L specimen. The 300mm plant is a young single stemmed tree around a metre tall, and it is the sensible choice for an avenue where you are buying several. The 90L is an advanced tree with a formed trunk and canopy, for immediate effect.

Tough leathery leaves mean olives travel well, and some leaf drop after transit is normal. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with delivery from $29.95 on standard orders. Growth is steady rather than quick, roughly 30cm a year. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to choose and grow an olive tree
• The best trees for lining a driveway
• Compare varieties in the olive tree collection
• Browse more driveway and avenue trees

Common questions

How far apart should I plant them?

Three metres apart for a screening row, or 4m to 5m for a driveway avenue where each tree needs room to show its shape. Closer than 3m and the canopies compete.

Do I need a second variety for fruit?

Correggiolo will set some fruit on its own, but a different olive variety planted nearby lifts the crop noticeably. If oil or table olives are the goal, plant two varieties.

Will the fruit stain my paving?

Ripe olives drop in autumn and can mark light coloured concrete. Keep the tree a couple of metres back from paved areas, or sweep the drop up as it happens.

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.