Olive Bark!

[milehigh_7]

So you know the level of my mental illness, I'm driving around Phoenix and of course, I am watching the landscape more than the road (don't you all??) ANNNNYway I spot this olive tree (they are common in landscape here) with crazy bark. Most times they are much smoother. What do you all think?

 

[Shibui]

Agree that olives (at least European olives) almost always have smooth bark. Are you absolutely sure this is really an olive rather than some other species that has similar leaves?
We do get rough barked trident maples so I guess olives could also throw an occasional seedling with different bark characteristics.

 

[leatherback]

Looks cool. I have an older olive that I am trying to bonsai that had cracked almost flacky bark when I got it. I have always wondered whether it is environment or genetics.

 

[BrianBay9]

Here's an old olive with rough bark, but not as rough as you're showing.....

 

[Ruddigger]

My sensei recently found some olives in a nursery that were practically corkbark. He bought em all to propogate with.

 

[Betula1]

Looks unusually rugged aged for a young Olive- but could it be Phillyrea latifolia? they have similar but darker greener leaves- photo thanks to Burncoose Nurseries!

 

[milehigh_7]

Agree that olives (at least European olives) almost always have smooth bark. Are you absolutely sure this is really an olive rather than some other species that has similar leaves?
We do get rough barked trident maples so I guess olives could also throw an occasional seedling with different bark characteristics.

It had olives on it so I’m pretty sure. They are very common in landscape and I have about 50 in pots.

 

[milehigh_7]

Hummm you know what??? I might grab a cutting.

 

[vesper818]

Hummm you know what??? I might grab a cutting.

Good idea! In a warmer climate, olives root almost as easily as willow!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Here's an old olive with rough bark, but not as rough as you're showing.....


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Absolutely delicious!

My Pig has rough bark too. So much texture and depth to be found.

 

[Ruddigger]

 

[bdmatt]

My teacher has a few olives with interesting bark. He also has a 'cork bark' variety but I haven't worked on it yet so I don't have pictures. A majority of his olives are smooth though.

 

[Ming dynasty]

Good idea! In a warmer climate, olives root almost as easily as willow!

Any experience with rooting them over the winter?