Arbosana Potted Olive Tree

Arbosana is a lower-vigor Spanish olive cultivar grown primarily for oil. Its compact, upright habit is used in high-density commercial plantings, but home gardeners should still plan for a permanent tree and manage its canopy with pruning.

• Botanical name: Olea europaea 'Arbosana'
• Plant form: One potted nursery tree; size varies by season
• Organic status: Not sold as certified organic
• Origin: Spain
• Primary use: Oil
• USDA zones: 8–11
• Sun: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained soil
• Growth habit: Lower vigor and relatively compact, with upright growth; often maintained around 12–15 feet in the ground and smaller with pruning
• Pollination: Planting a compatible olive such as Arbequina nearby may improve fruit set when bloom overlaps
• Harvest: Generally a later-maturing oil olive; timing and oil character vary by site, weather, and fruit maturity
• Bearing: May begin flowering after establishment, but meaningful crops often take several years and are not guaranteed

Planting and care

Choose a full-sun site with excellent drainage. Dig a hole no deeper than the root ball and wider than the container. Set the tree at the same soil level it had in the pot, backfill with native soil, and water thoroughly. Keep the root zone evenly moist during establishment without leaving it waterlogged.

Prune lightly to develop a balanced canopy and remove dead, damaged, or crossing growth. Mature size, flowering, harvest timing, and crop size vary with climate, tree age, pruning, pollination, water, and care. Container-grown trees require more frequent irrigation and periodic root and canopy management.

Olives are bitter directly from the tree and must be cured before eating. See our olive growing guide, shop olive trees, or browse all potted fruit trees.