Olive Kalamata

Olive Kalamata Details

Olea Kalamata is an Olive tree grown for its high yields of large fruit in autumn. It carries large fruit that can be squeezed to produce an oil with a distinct, fruity taste or eaten fresh. The fruit mature to a dark purple-black in autumn and originate from white-cream flowers borne in summer. It carries dark green foliage on twisted stems and on branches that are slightly drooping. This evergreen typically grows to 3 m tall and the same wide, performing best when planted in full sun on a well-drained site. It is tolerant of dry soil conditions, frost, and cool climates, but will benefit from wind protection while establishing. This is one of the more popular olive tree varieties that is often used for fruit production in NZ. It also makes for an impressive specimen, and is useful for screening, as a windbreak, for topiary, or for trimming into an open hedge. For an Olea Kalamata hedge, space the trees 75 cm to 1 m apart.