Olea europaea aka Olive

The olive tree, Olea europaea, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, meaning 'European olive' in Latin, and is traditionally found in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as Olea europaea 'Montra', dwarf olive, or little olive, and is cultivated in many countries including Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa. The olive tree is an evergreen tree which typically reach about 25 to 30 feet tall with a naturally slight weeping habit when young, and a gnarled and twisted trunk as it matures. The leaves are elliptical to lanceolate gray-green above and silvery beneath, up to 8 centimeters long, with a protective coating and hairy undersides, an adaptation that slows down the transpiration process. The white fragrant flowers occur in 2-inch long panicles in summer, followed by the green drupe (the olive). The olive is of major agricultural importance as the source of olive oil, and thousands of cultivars of the olive tree are known for its versatile use for oil, eating, and ornamental purposes. Common Olive can be grown outdoors in zones 8-10 or brought indoors or in a greenhouse in colder areas and requires 2 months of temperatures in the 40-50 degree F range to flower.