Identify Olive variety - help

[MartyB]

Hello,

I have developed something of an obsession with olives, and I have one that I came across last year at a nursery totally by chance. It is of an unknown variety (cultivar? what is the correct term?). In any case, I picked up a Arbequina olive this week. I really would like to know what the other variety is. I don't know if it is due to its small size but it seems much more suited to eventual bonsai cultivation as the leaves are easily 60% smaller than the stringy Arbequina I now have. Here is a picture to compare. The larger leaves is obviously the Arbequina; the unknown's leaves are much darker green, smaller, and the growth vigor is much more evident as when I finally get it into the sun in spring it actively puts on new growth.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Olea oleander

 

[M. Frary]

Martini?

 

[fredman]

Don't know much of olive varieties sorry...

Best olive I'm IMO is the wild olive. Smallest of leaves and natural tiny fruit. If you love olives, try and get some of them.
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidate/Africana

These people will send you seeds very quickly (if allowed into your country).
http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za/catalogue.asp

 

[MartyB]

Olea oleander

is that an olive variety or another plant entirely with vague similarity to olive? I googled it and came up with a shrub. But this is most definately an olea species, other than smaller leaves, the wood and way it grows is identical to olive varieties I saw in France recently.

Thanks for the tips so far, I am guessing Martini is a joke LOL. I am in Quebec, Canada, not sure I can order seeds from South Africa but I will definately try

 

[fredman]

They send seeds all over the world regularly...

 

[Dalmat]

Piccolina olive. And Frary was closer then he thought, most commonly used sort of olives for coctails.

 

[YukiShiro]

Don't know much of olive varieties sorry...

Best olive I'm IMO is the wild olive. Smallest of leaves and natural tiny fruit. If you love olives, try and get some of them.
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidate/Africana

These people will send you seeds very quickly (if allowed into your country).
http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za/catalogue.asp

lekker Fredman!

 

[Cypress187]

lekker Fredman!

Zeker lekker.

 

[M. Frary]

Oh no. I knew it all along.
My guess just wasn't a smart ass remark like some like to post. No sir! I put a lot of thought into that reply I'll have you know.

 

[MartyB]

They send seeds all over the world regularly...

apparently so, they are willing to ship so I am waiting for confirmation. Thanks for the lead!!

 

[fredman]

Lovely. Make sure it's allowed into your country.

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Hey everyone. I think I may have found an olive but not sure. I'm looking here in Oman for the wild olives mentioned to me on this forum Africana (?) is this one of them? This guy's is a beast and has been growing since the 70s here. I'm just trying to learn how to recognise them It looks too dense and green to be an olive though right? The gardener here does use high nitrogen fertiliser but not sure on the veins on it either (?)

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Hello,

I have developed something of an obsession with olives, and I have one that I came across last year at a nursery totally by chance. It is of an unknown variety (cultivar? what is the correct term?). In any case, I picked up a Arbequina olive this week. I really would like to know what the other variety is. I don't know if it is due to its small size but it seems much more suited to eventual bonsai cultivation as the leaves are easily 60% smaller than the stringy Arbequina I now have. Here is a picture to compare. The larger leaves is obviously the Arbequina; the unknown's leaves are much darker green, smaller, and the growth vigor is much more evident as when I finally get it into the sun in spring it actively puts on new growth.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Nice leaves!! Leaf size in olives varies alot though doesnt it? Even within species the leaves can be reduced to less than half the original size by defoliation, limited nitrogen and lots of sun can't it?

 

[fredman]

Man oh Man, what a monster. Not 100% sure its an Africana, but that small leaves is a strong indication it might be. According to this site http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/oleaeurop.htm the Africana's distribution area is throughout Africa up to Arabia. You might Google search further about identifying olives....don't know much about that. Whats the size of the fruit? Africana has small pea size fruit...
Nice find !!!

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Yes the fruit is pea sized on this. Didn't manage to get a pic though. Yes. 40 years this thing has been growing here in a sheltered quad! It has been cut back a lot and is bent over ha ha ha. The trunk looks amazing. Not my kind of material though. Too big ha ha ha. Even air layering would be difficult as the branches are so dense. Alot of dead wood close to the trunk! :0)