How big does an olive tree get?
PlantNET describes the olive (Olea europaea) as a much-branched tree anywhere from 2 to 15 m high. It's native to the Mediterranean and south-west Asia, and in NSW it has naturalised in disturbed ground, often along roadsides and river banks.
Most olive jobs are about shape, airflow and fruit. We found no reliable source on olive roots, so we won't guess how far they reach. If roots near the house are the worry, our tree roots guide covers how to find out.
Is it an African olive or a garden olive?
| African olive | European olive | |
|---|---|---|
| Underside of the leaf | Yellow-brown | Whitish or silvery |
| Leaf tip | Often hooked | No hooked tip |
| Usual height | 5 to 10 m, says NSW WeedWise | Olives in general range from 2 to 15 m (PlantNET) |
| Weed status | Declared in NSW, SA and WA (Weeds Australia), and a regional priority weed in Greater Sydney, the Hunter and the Central Tablelands | Wilding (self-sown) European olive is also a weed in NSW, with similar impacts |
| How it got here | Brought in during the 1800s for hedging and as rootstock for edible olives | Planted for its fruit |
Why does the weed kind matter?
NSW WeedWise says African olive invades bushland, with the worst infestations around south-west Sydney and the central Hunter Valley, and it shouldn't be sold in parts of NSW. That's a fair reason to want one gone, but not a reason to skip the council.
Weed lists come with conditions of their own. Campbelltown's 2020 guide, for one, says listed species may only be cleared once the council has a qualified arborist's report naming the species, at least five business days before removal. In Victoria, Boroondara needs a permit to remove a canopy tree even when it's a recognised weed. Ask your council how it treats your tree; our tree removal permits page is the place to start.
We couldn't confirm South Australia's own rules on wild olives, so in SA, put the question to your council.
Pruning an olive from the ground
Prune once a year
Gardening Australia says a yearly prune of evergreen fruit trees like olives keeps air moving and the shape in check, improves the look and the crop, and reduces disease build-up.
Wait until fruiting is over
Gardening Australia's general rule is to prune after the main flowering or fruiting period. Dead branches can come out whenever you notice them.
Go easy on a young tree
An olive that's been pruned from a young age shouldn't need much taken off each year.
Stop at what you can reach
Secateurs and loppers, both feet on the lawn. Old, unruly olives can handle a hard prune, but cutting thick limbs on a mature tree belongs with an arborist.
When is an olive an arborist job?
A hard renovation prune on an old tree, a big olive leaning on a fence or crowding the house, or taking one out with its stump. A good tree removal quote says how it comes down, what happens to the stump and who checks with the council.
Olive trees: what to do next
We'd turn a few leaves over before anything else. Yellow-brown undersides with hooked tips point to African olive, and then we'd ask the council what it wants before the tree comes out. Silvery undersides, and it's most likely a garden olive that just needs its yearly prune.
Want an arborist to look at it?
Tell us the job and your postcode, and a local arborist calls you to talk it through.