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Old 09-02-2003, 03:37 PM
Iris Cohen
 
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Default [IBC] Olive, Olea europaea

I was just assuming the label was wrong and it meant 24-48'. The foliage
doesn't look very "dwarfish;" the longest leaf is 3". How long is the foliage
of the dwarf Olive?

24 to 48 feet is about the height of a mature standard olive tree. I have no
idea how tall "Little Ollie" gets in the ground. You would have to ask Pacific
Tree Farms or someone who lives in California. The leaves on "Little Ollie,"
when unpruned, run about 2 inches.
You may be puzzled why I keep putting "Little Ollie" in double quotes, when I
always rant that a cultivar name is enclosed in single quotes. That is because
it is actually a nickname. The correct clonal name is Olea europaea 'Montra,'
but you won't find it on labels because it is patented & then the seller would
have to pay royalties. This happens all the time in most plant families other
than roses. Patented roses seem to be pretty well controlled.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)