In message .com,
Totty writes

Duncan Heenan wrote:
Can't answer this, but I'm interested to know the answer, because I
am about
to plant 2 olives on the Isle of Wight. Though we get only mild
frosts, we
do get some. I thought olives were able to take mild frosts. How do
the ones
in Mediterranean mountain areas get on, where they do get some frosts
and
are not protected?

I think Sacha is right. We do get light frosts, but even in inland
areas where the temperature drops to 15º below, the olives survive. We
don't seem to get wet and cold at the same time.


We live on a hill top in S Devon and whilst we are relatively frost free
it has been cold enough to freeze the surface of the pond on several
occasions this winter - this does not appear to have damaged our olive.
We have had it for four or five years and it lives outside all year in a
large planter.

--
Robert