On Sun, 7 Jun 2009 08:55:49 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-06-03 20:25:59 +0100, Pam Moore said:

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 17:37:25 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-06-03 17:31:54 +0100, Pam Moore said:

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 15:18:16 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-06-02 21:17:48 +0100, Pam Moore said:

I have an olive tree, in a pot, kept fairly small, which I grew from a
seed bought from T&M 40 years ago. I had never seen an olive tree at
that time. I grew it as a bonsai for 20 years.
Having seen lots since, I realise that mine is different in that it
has dark green shiny leaves, not the dull paler green leaves of common
olives. It IS and olive though, in leaf and habit, but has never
flowered because I always cut it back'
Is there an expert among our readers who can say what mine might be?

Pam in Bristol

Does it by any chance look like this:
http://i43.tinypic.com/2daknbq.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2j4x7dh.jpg

I was talking about yours to Ray today and he silently pointed to these
two that we have. They were a gift and nobody knows which they are,
I'm afraid but a pic might help and we're working on other sources!!


SNAP! Will try a picture (snap!) of mine, which is just like your
first picture, both in leaf and bark colour.
Thanks Sacha and Ray.

Pam in Bristol

It will be even more useful if we manage to track down its name. ;-))
I cannot tell you how often I mention some plant or other to Ray and he
digs it out of his metaphorical treasure chest!
--
Having looked again at your photos there's no point in me sending a
photo, as yours looks so much like mine, except that mine is 40 years
old though not much bigger than yours!

Pam in Bristol

I've just heard from David Poole who says he can't be 100% sure but
thinks these are Olea exasperata, the dune or coastal olive.
Apparently they're not one of the edible olives and tend 'to form
scrubby growth rather than developing into a proper tree', according to
David. According to one online source I found, they're growing
extensively in the Steenbok Nature Reserve.
--

Well thanks Sacha and David. Not encouraging that I've been
cherishing my olive for 40 years, though keeping it small, and now it
may not have edible fruit. Oh well! They say olives don't ripen in
this country anyway. Mine has healthier looking, attractive-coloured
foliage, as Sacha's photos.

Pam in Bristol