I'm sorry that the pic is a little fuzzy but I have this black growth on my olive tree. Plus I have a lot of ants that are going to this black growth. Can anyone tell me what it is??? Thanks Evelyn

Hard to tell from the picture, but could also be mealy bugs. Either way you could spray the trees with a mild solution of dish washing detergent or coffee to send them on their way. Meally bugs have a waxy coating which the detergent helps to break down, as it also tends to prevent them from being able to breath. If you are scientific, you can spray one branch with coffee, which tend to be toxic to insect, and one branch with mild dish detergent and see which works best. they are tough little guys, so you may have to spray your tree a few times to get them under control. Or, as Tim suggested, Spinosad should definitely work, as that stuff is relatively potent!

Don't think normal for a young tree like yours, maybe for one that's decades and decades old. Not to say; however that it couldn't survive after treatment. I don't know of a treatment but imagine readily available info online.

It may be a result of how it was planted. Any twine or non biodegradable material under the soil? Can you see the root flare? tj