Helena Olive Tree

The Helena olive tree (Olea europaea 'Helena') is a table olive for gardeners who want a real crop without giving up half the yard. It settles at about 4m tall and 3m wide, so it fits a suburban block, a courtyard corner or a large pot against a warm wall. Silver grey foliage holds all year, cream flowers come in spring, and fruit follows within a few seasons of planting.

Why you'll love it

• A usable crop from a small tree. Helena is grown for eating, and the compact frame keeps the fruit within reach of the ground.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant, salt tolerant and content in poor soil. More than most fruiting trees will do.
• Silver foliage year round. Evergreen, so it holds structure through winter when the deciduous fruit trees are bare.
• Happy in a pot. A 500mm container or larger suits it, which makes it workable on a balcony or in a rented garden.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can go beside a run or a play area.

Where it works best

Feature and courtyard planting. One tree carries a Mediterranean scheme on its own. Underplant with lavender, rosemary or santolina and let gravel do the rest.

Informal screening. Plant 2m apart for a soft silver screen that filters a view. It will not give a solid green wall, so choose something denser if the boundary needs one.

Coastal gardens and windbreaks. Salt laden wind does not trouble it, so it earns a place on exposed blocks where softer fruit trees fail.

Growing the Helena olive in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, because olives fruit on wood ripened in strong light. This suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens, which covers most of southern Australia and the inland. In the humid tropics and subtropics it will live, but fruit set is unreliable.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Olives grow happily in thin, rocky, alkaline ground and sulk in wet clay. On clay, plant on a raised mound 200mm to 300mm high and work compost and gypsum through the bed.

Water. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then taper off. An established tree gets by on rainfall in most southern gardens, though a monthly soak in a dry summer lifts fruit size.

Feeding and pruning. A light dressing of complete fertiliser in early spring is plenty. Prune in late winter to an open vase shape, taking out crossing wood and anything growing into the centre, because light is what ripens the crop.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four sizes: tube, 300mm, 45L and 100L. Tubes are the value choice for a row you can wait on, the 300mm pot is the usual pick for a single garden tree, and the 45L and 100L trees arrive with a formed trunk and canopy.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Olives are slow to look settled after transplanting, so expect a quiet six weeks then a flush of growth. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare every olive variety we grow
• Kalamata olive for a larger fruiting tree
• Browse fruit trees for Australian gardens
• How to prepare a new garden bed

Common questions

How long until it fruits?

Two to three years from a 300mm plant. Advanced 45L and 100L trees are often close to bearing age and can carry fruit in their first or second season.

Can I eat the olives straight off the tree?

No. Raw olives are bitter and need curing in brine or salt over several weeks before they are worth eating. The process is simple enough, just not quick.

Do I need a second olive tree?

Helena sets some fruit on its own, but another olive variety flowering nearby lifts the crop noticeably. Plant two if you have room and want jars rather than a handful.

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.