🫒 Species guide
☀️ Balcony and terrace
🌿 In brief
The olive tree grows very well in a pot, as long as you give it full sun, a free-draining potting soil and a pot with a drainage hole. Let the soil dry out between waterings: too much water kills it far more surely than drought. Prune it lightly at the end of winter and protect the pot when it freezes. In a mild climate it is happy outdoors all year round; elsewhere, it can spend the winter in a very bright, cool room.
Silvery foliage that shimmers in the sun, a trunk that twists with the years, an instant reminder of Mediterranean holidays: the olive tree is one of the best-loved trees for balconies and terraces. Tough, undemanding and able to live for decades in a pot, it still has a few precise rules, especially when it comes to watering and winter. Here is everything you need to know to choose it, set it up and keep it in great shape.
Portrait of the olive tree
The olive tree, Olea europaea, is an evergreen tree from the Mediterranean basin, grown for more than six thousand years for its fruit and its oil. In the wild, it grows in poor, stony, dry soils under intense sun, with hot summers and mild but cool winters. That is exactly what you need to recreate on a balcony: plenty of light, little water and a soil that never stays waterlogged.
Its narrow, elongated leaves, grey-green on top and silvery underneath, stay on the tree all year round. They are renewed gradually, which explains why a few leaves drop regularly, and this is nothing to worry about. Its trunk, smooth and grey on a young tree, becomes gnarled and twisted with age. In the ground, it can grow taller than 10 metres and live for several centuries; in a pot, its slow growth keeps it between 1 and 2.5 metres for a long time.
| Criterion | What a potted olive tree needs |
|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, at least 6 hours a day |
| Water | Little: let the top few centimetres of potting soil dry out |
| Potting soil | Very free-draining, sandy or gritty |
| Cold | Tolerates short frosts; protect the pot below -5 °C |
| Growth | Slow, a few tens of centimetres a year |
| Lifespan in a pot | Several decades with regular repotting |
What makes it unique
Leaves built for drought
The silvery underside of its leaves is covered in tiny scales that limit water loss and reflect light. In very hot weather, the olive tree can even close its pores to save water.
A tree that needs a cool spell
To flower, it needs to spend several weeks below 10 °C in winter. An olive tree kept warm all year round stays green, but almost never flowers.
A trunk shaped by time
The trunk thickens and twists very slowly. The gnarled-trunk olive trees sold in garden centres are often several decades old; a young olive tree will gain that character over the years.
Remarkably resilient
Even when badly weakened, an olive tree often shoots again from the wood or the base. A run of fallen leaves is not a death sentence, as long as you fix the cause.
Sun, indoors or outdoors
The first rule for an olive tree: sun. The more it gets, the denser, more silvery and more vigorous it is.
- Outdoors, on a south-, south-west- or west-facing balcony or terrace, with at least six hours of direct sun.
- It copes very well with heat, wind and sea air, and adapts to very exposed balconies on upper floors.
- In partial shade, it survives but becomes leggy: long, sparse shoots and falling leaves.
- Indoors, it only lasts in front of a south-facing picture window or in a conservatory, ideally in a cool room in winter. A heated, dim living room will make it decline within a few months.
- If you move it outside in spring after a winter under cover, get it used to the sun gradually over a week to avoid scorching.
Our guide to plants for sunny balconies helps you assess how much sun your balcony gets.
Pot, potting soil and repotting
The pot
Choose a pot with a drainage hole, slightly wider than the root ball, heavy and stable: an olive tree with dense foliage catches the wind. Terracotta is ideal, as it breathes and dries quickly, provided it is guaranteed frost-proof if the tree stays outdoors in winter. A pot that is much too big all at once holds moisture and makes the roots rot.
The potting soil
The olive tree hates heavy, waterlogged soil. A good mix: two-thirds citrus or Mediterranean plant potting soil and one-third coarse sand, pozzolana or fine gravel. It tolerates chalky soil very well. A layer of clay pebbles or gravel at the bottom of the pot improves drainage. Our guide to understanding substrates details the mixes.
Repotting
Repot every two to three years in spring, moving up to a pot only a few centimetres wider. Once the tree is too big to repot, top-dress it every spring: remove the top five centimetres of potting soil and replace it with a fresh mix.
Watering and feeding
Water little, but well
This is the most important point. Water thoroughly, until water runs out of the drainage hole, then wait until the top three to five centimetres of potting soil are dry before watering again. In summer, in full sun, that often means watering once or twice a week; in spring and autumn, every ten to fifteen days; in winter, hardly at all. Always empty the saucer. The finger test is the best guide.
Feed in spring and summer
From April to September, a citrus and olive fertiliser every three to four weeks is enough. There is no need to do more: an overfed olive tree produces long, soft shoots and flowers less. Stop feeding in autumn.
The olive tree in winter
In the ground, a mature olive tree withstands frosts down to about -10 °C. In a pot, its roots are much more exposed, and a young tree is more fragile.
| Your winter | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mild, rarely below 0 °C | It stays outdoors all year round, in full sun, with no special protection. |
| Occasional frosts down to -5 °C | Outdoors against a sheltered wall, with the pot raised and wrapped in fleece or bubble wrap, and the foliage covered with fleece on frosty nights. |
| Frequent frosts or below -5 °C | Bring it into a very bright, cool place, between 5 and 12 °C: a conservatory, a light stairwell, a garage with a window. |
In winter, keep watering to a minimum: once a month, or even less, if the potting soil is dry. Our guide to overwintering your balcony details every step.
Pruning and shaping
Prune your olive tree at the end of winter, in February or March, once the hard frosts are over and before new growth starts. The aim: an open canopy that lets light into the heart of the tree.
- Remove dead wood and damaged shoots.
- Take out branches that cross or grow inwards.
- Thin out the centre: as the saying goes, a swallow should be able to fly through the tree.
- Shorten overly long shoots to keep a compact shape.
- Remove suckers growing from the base or the trunk, unless you want a bushy shape.
In summer, simply pinching out overly vigorous shoots is enough to keep the shape. Our guide to pruning your plants properly shows where to make the cut.
Flowers and olives
In spring, the olive tree is covered in clusters of tiny creamy-white flowers, discreet but fragrant. In a pot, it flowers when three conditions are met: a cool winter, plenty of sun and a tree that is a few years old. It is partly self-fertile: a single tree can produce olives, but the harvest remains modest in a pot.
The olives, green and then black as they ripen in autumn, cannot be eaten raw: they are very bitter and must be cured to remove the bitterness before eating. On a balcony, the olive tree is therefore first and foremost an ornamental tree. Our article on fruit trees and citrus in pots covers the fruit trees that are easy to grow in a pot.
Common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves dropping in large numbers | Lack of light, overwatering or a sudden change of position | Full sun, less frequent watering, gradual transitions |
| Leaves turning yellow | Roots suffocated by too much water | Let it dry out, check the drainage, repot if the soil stays waterlogged |
| Curled or dry leaves in summer | Prolonged drought in the pot | Water thoroughly, mulch the potting soil |
| Round brown spots ringed with yellow | Peacock spot, a fungus encouraged by humidity | Remove affected leaves, open up the canopy, avoid wetting the foliage |
| Small brown bumps on the shoots, sticky black deposit | Scale insects and sooty mould | Remove with a soft brush, treat with diluted black soap |
| Shoots blackened after a cold night | Frost | Wait until spring, then cut out the dead wood |
Our guides my plant is losing its leaves and plant pests go into these symptoms in detail.
Decorating with an olive tree
The olive tree goes with almost any style, from a Provençal terrace to a contemporary balcony.
- The Mediterranean feel: a large terracotta pot, with a rosemary standard and a bay laurel standard alongside, which love the same sun and the same dry conditions.
- The contemporary balcony: a cylindrical pot in anthracite or matt white that sets off the silvery foliage.
- The olive and citrus duo: a lemon tree next to the olive tree, glossy green against silver.
- A dressed-up base: a trailing rosemary or a mulch of pale gravel at the foot of the tree.
Mistakes to avoid
⚠️ Avoid
Overwatering. This is the number one killer of potted olive trees. Constantly wet potting soil suffocates the roots.
Putting it in the shade. It loses its leaves and becomes leggy within a few months.
Keeping it warm all winter. A heated, dark living room weakens it, and without a winter chill it will not flower.
Choosing a pot without a drainage hole. Water collects at the bottom and the roots rot.
Pruning in midwinter or in autumn. Fresh cuts are easily damaged by frost; wait until the hard frosts are over.
Our selection
You now know how to grow it. Here is our olive tree, its Mediterranean companions and the pots to plant it in.
The olive tree
Our olive tree comes in three sizes, from 60 cm to 1 m, for a small balcony or a large terrace alike.
View our Mediterranean urban garden →
Its Mediterranean companions
They love the same full sun and the same free-draining potting soil, and together with the olive tree they create a true Mediterranean scene.
View our plants for south-facing terraces →
Outdoor pots
Stable, frost-resistant pots with drainage holes, for an olive tree that spends the year outdoors.
Verdeia — Mediterranean
A holiday feel on your balcony
Olive tree, bay laurel, rosemary, citrus: all our Mediterranean plants for a sunny balcony or terrace.
Frequently asked questions
Only in front of a south-facing picture window or in a conservatory, ideally somewhere cool in winter. It does much better outdoors, in full sun, for most of the year.
When the top three to five centimetres of potting soil are dry: often once or twice a week in summer, every ten to fifteen days in spring and autumn, and hardly ever in winter.
Most often because of a lack of light, overwatering or a sudden change of position. Put it in full sun, water less often and it will recover.
It tolerates short frosts, but its roots are exposed in a pot. Protect the pot below -5 °C and bring the tree into a bright, cool place if frosts are frequent.
At the end of winter, in February or March, once the hard frosts are over. Open up the centre of the tree and shorten overly long shoots.
Well planted
The right pot for your olive tree
Stable, frost-resistant pots to give your olive tree a lasting home on the balcony or terrace.
