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

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

Certainly not an expert, Pam but you haven't by any chance got
Osmanthus fragrans, have you? It's aka the tea olive and Osmanthus are
part of the Oleaceae family. Their flowers are very sweetly scented so
it would be worth letting it do its thing if it does turn out to be
that.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 23:35:07 +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

Certainly not an expert, Pam but you haven't by any chance got
Osmanthus fragrans, have you? It's aka the tea olive and Osmanthus are
part of the Oleaceae family. Their flowers are very sweetly scented so
it would be worth letting it do its thing if it does turn out to be
that.
--

Thanks for the suggestion Sacha, but no, I've grown osmanthus. This
is definitely an olive of some sort and grew from an olive stone!

Pam in Bristol

On 2009-06-03 08:19:32 +0100, Pam Moore said:

On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 23:35:07 +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

Certainly not an expert, Pam but you haven't by any chance got
Osmanthus fragrans, have you? It's aka the tea olive and Osmanthus are
part of the Oleaceae family. Their flowers are very sweetly scented so
it would be worth letting it do its thing if it does turn out to be
that.
--

Thanks for the suggestion Sacha, but no, I've grown osmanthus. This
is definitely an olive of some sort and grew from an olive stone!

Pam in Bristol

No doubt there, then. Interesting and I hope someone can tell you and
all of us which it is.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

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!!

--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

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

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!
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

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 have been growing bonsai for over thirty years and have several trees that flower regularly, but they only do that because I DO NOT cut them back regularly every year. It's a bit like pruning an apple tree just before they flower. I must admit that I have never grown an olive tree and I wouldn't be able to tell one from another.
Bigal

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.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

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

On 2009-06-07 18:32:26 +0100, Pam Moore said:

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

I think it's probably one of those things that's 'interesting' to plant
but no more than that.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon