Water-Wise Gardening

California-Friendly Plant: Dwarf Olive Tree

Whether in their native Italian countryside or in your California-Friendly garden, dwarf olive trees bring a touch of romance to water efficiency, without all the mess. Full-sized olive trees can reach 50 feet in height, making them unsuitable for many smaller gardens. The dwarf variety, however, known as Little Ollie, is much smaller, perfect for small beds, large pots or as shrubs.

Little Ollies look very similar to their larger cousins, with small aromatic dark-green leaves and light bark, but they produce no olives. They are very easy to care for once established. Pruning the lower half will help cultivate your Little Ollie into a tree, while pruning the top will keep it in shrub form. Water once or twice per week during the first year to establish the roots. After that, water deeply, but infrequently, and nature should take care of the rest.