cold hardy olives
CasaLester RTP, NC (7b)
8 years ago
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trianglejohn
8 years agoGina Perfetto
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Will these uncommon hardy tropical edibles cold-hardy to zone 7A?
Comments (18)Given that I'm in a climate zone where these things do well, I'm probably not the best person to give advice. But I can endorse the idea of Chilean guava in a pot. Mine was permanently outdoors of course, but it flowered and fruited fine for several years before I was able to plant it in the garden. The flowering is late enough that it won't be troubled by being indoors etc until the frosts have passed, and it doesn't require a long season to fruit. I don't know what level of frost it will tolerate - certainly some, but the places it grows best are cool and windy, so not frosty. There is also at least one feijoa variety that can be grown and fruited in a pot (the self-fertile Unique), but it is probably still too big to be moved inside, unlike the Chilean guava which is small. I don't have the space for kiwifruit or the climate for pomegranate (not hot enough in summer), so I can't help with those....See MoreOlive trees
Comments (2)You can't grow an olive tree from a pit from a jar of olives. The processing to make the olives edible kills the seed. There are a couple of cold hardy olives like the Arbequina that can survive down to about 17 or 18F, but that's as low as they go. Stark Bros carries the Arbequina, which is a Spanish variety. The Arbequina is also a small variety. They have shallow root systems, and can be grown in pots and transplant well even when quite old. If transplanting an existing tree, trim back the branches because the roots will have received some damage and won't be able to support the whole tree. In Italy, olives are often grown in pots in the cities. A pot that is at least 3' deep will suffice for the lifetime of the tree. The "lifetime" of an olive tree is a very long time, potentially thousands of years. This also means they are very slow growing. You could move an olive indoors for the winter, or grow it in a conservatory. It takes a lot of heat and sun to make it flower and fruit....See MoreSelection of semi-tropical tree/bushSelection for protected area
Comments (9)John, I thought of that palm but wondered about the lack of sunlight all winter long. What do you think of those conditions Rhizo, that's why I suggested that a Pindo be planted in a raised bed affording good drainage. I think it would be fine in a protected location with little direct sunlight, as long as it isn't sitting there all winter with wet feet. I'd also recommend that they start with the largest specimen that their budget will allow. Will a Pindo provide a tall enough canopy to sit/walk under? No, not for many, many years, unless you're willing to spend big $$$ for a huge specimen that would most likely have to be professionally installed. The best trunking cold hardy palm that will grow quickly would be a windmill (Trachycarpus fortunei), and it would indeed be more forgiving of your winter low light conditions. Two other bush, shrub type palms that would still give you a tropical look would be a sabal minor or a needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix). They're not trunking, but are extremely cold hardy & would still thrive in spite of a lack of wintertime direct sunlight. If you decide to visit ColdPalms as Rhizo suggested, I would strongly recommend that you take along a good picture of the area you're wanting to landscape & of course detail the growing conditions to them as you have here. They're very knowledgeable about palms & have a huge inventory to choose from. I'm sure they would be able to help you select the right one for your location....See MoreCold Weather Olive Tree?
Comments (3)I'm not sure how generic "olive tree" is - if the OP is interested in a fruiting olive, there is only one species, Olea europea. Lots of cultivars, however :-) Black, green, brown, etc. But unfortunately they share a pretty uniform hardiness range. They are uniformly listed as at least a zone 8 plant (often higher), however olives do grow in some various zone 7 environments in my area but I suspect specific microclimates to account for that phenomenon. And it takes a much hotter summer than we can manage in a PNW zone 8 climate to get them to fruit. If interested in growing in cold zones, I'd suggest as a houseplant. There is a non-fruiting dwarf cultivar that is pretty widely available called 'Little Ollie'...See MoreCasaLester RTP, NC (7b)
6 years agoJosué Walton
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agojoshuapwalton
2 years agoCasaLester RTP, NC (7b)
2 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agojoshuapwalton
2 years agoCasaLester RTP, NC (7b)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agojoshuapwalton
2 years ago
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CasaLester RTP, NC (7b)Original Author