It's Kev
Omono
Both are called wild olive, but what’s the difference? Is it the same thing with 2 botanical names or are they 2 different species?
Olea oleaster VS olea africana
- Thread starter It's Kev
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jason biggs
Chumono
all are sub species of olea europaea as far as i know... they are very similar.
Lutonian
Chumono
there are quite a few olive species distributed throughout the world, from europe, africa, asia and australia
en.wikipedia.org
www.treesandshrubsonline.org
Olea - Wikipedia
Olea - Trees and Shrubs Online
A modern reference to temperate woody plants
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
African and European olive are classed as different sub-species by some botanists so closely related. Some botanists class them as separate species but still very closely related. Depends whether you are a lumper or splitter botanist. The names you have listed are the 2 species recognised by the splitters.
African olive -native to African continent - has smaller fruit and usually has green leaves top and bottom.
European olive - native to Mediterranean Europe - is the species grown for fruit. Different cultivars have different sized fruit but generally larger with more flesh around the pip. Leaves are silver underneath.
Both can be 'wild' depending what part of the world. Both have naturalized in Australia and rapidly becoming pest species here and probably elsewhere too.
Both used as bonsai and probably treated the same as far a cultivation.
African olive -native to African continent - has smaller fruit and usually has green leaves top and bottom.
European olive - native to Mediterranean Europe - is the species grown for fruit. Different cultivars have different sized fruit but generally larger with more flesh around the pip. Leaves are silver underneath.
Both can be 'wild' depending what part of the world. Both have naturalized in Australia and rapidly becoming pest species here and probably elsewhere too.
Both used as bonsai and probably treated the same as far a cultivation.
It's Kev
Omono
I had to search for this coz I forgot where it came from. It’s from
www.kaizenbonsai.com
Olea oleaster, a wild olive whose cultivar "Olivastro" is used as rootstock for O. europaea; formerly classified as the subspecies O. europaea oleaster. By far the best type for bonsai cultivation. Tiny leaves, vertical growing twigs when mature. Good examples will have spectacular bark and natural deadwood. Generally collected from the wild in costal regions. Unusually for a dwarf foliage type oleaster is extremely vigorous and forgiving. Most expensive but this is the one to buy!
Olea sylvestris, a small-fruited wild olive of the Mediterranean region. Medium size dark green shiny leaves generally more rounded than oleaster. Looser growing habit. More susceptible to fungal problems in very damp conditions than oleaster. Slower growing than oleaster but with care can produce a very impressive bonsai tree.
Olea europaea, the primary type of olive cultivated for fruit production. Most come from old olive groves. Large oblong grey leaves, very loose habit. Tolerant of most conditions. Good quality bark is rare with this type. Big cheap trees are often available in general nurseries and garden centres. In the UK this type is very poor, generally showing weak growth and susceptible to fungal probelms like peacock spot and pest infestation particularly scale insect. Very hard to produce dense foliage masses without very strong sustained sunshine. Best avoided for bonsai use in the UK.
So I reckon there are many “wild” olive species, and “africana” is definitely not “oleaster”
The Olive Tree as Bonsai
HEART OF THE MEDITERRANEAN - THE OLIVE TREE Prior to cheap airfares very few of us in Blighty would have been capable of identifying an olive tree. Today most folk with even a small interest in arboricultural matters will recount tales of being impressed by the ancient olive trees of some exotic...
www.kaizenbonsai.com
Olea oleaster, a wild olive whose cultivar "Olivastro" is used as rootstock for O. europaea; formerly classified as the subspecies O. europaea oleaster. By far the best type for bonsai cultivation. Tiny leaves, vertical growing twigs when mature. Good examples will have spectacular bark and natural deadwood. Generally collected from the wild in costal regions. Unusually for a dwarf foliage type oleaster is extremely vigorous and forgiving. Most expensive but this is the one to buy!
Olea sylvestris, a small-fruited wild olive of the Mediterranean region. Medium size dark green shiny leaves generally more rounded than oleaster. Looser growing habit. More susceptible to fungal problems in very damp conditions than oleaster. Slower growing than oleaster but with care can produce a very impressive bonsai tree.
Olea europaea, the primary type of olive cultivated for fruit production. Most come from old olive groves. Large oblong grey leaves, very loose habit. Tolerant of most conditions. Good quality bark is rare with this type. Big cheap trees are often available in general nurseries and garden centres. In the UK this type is very poor, generally showing weak growth and susceptible to fungal probelms like peacock spot and pest infestation particularly scale insect. Very hard to produce dense foliage masses without very strong sustained sunshine. Best avoided for bonsai use in the UK.
So I reckon there are many “wild” olive species, and “africana” is definitely not “oleaster”
It's Kev
Omono
Visiting the motherland, found this at a shop in Port Elizabeth.
I don’t think oleaster exists here, this is africana
It has a nice-ish shape at the base
I don’t think oleaster exists here, this is africana
It has a nice-ish shape at the base
It's Kev
Omono
Trunk chopped, transported to northern hemisphere, using the hot climate here into cheating it into thinking its a short growing season before the brief winter comes in January, and it’s popping buds already
The pieces that I’ve cut off are left in my mom’s care back in South Africa,
As for this one, I’ll let it rest and settle, if all the new growth is down low, it means I can chop again later
The pieces that I’ve cut off are left in my mom’s care back in South Africa,
As for this one, I’ll let it rest and settle, if all the new growth is down low, it means I can chop again later
It's Kev
Omono
It seems to like back to back typhoons
So I have another olive which I bought locally, it’s neither growing nor dying, air layer didn’t take, but didn’t callous over either. I’m very tempted to just toss it since this one is doing so well
So I have another olive which I bought locally, it’s neither growing nor dying, air layer didn’t take, but didn’t callous over either. I’m very tempted to just toss it since this one is doing so well
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I've had collected olives sit and do nothing for more than 12 months before finally deciding to make some new buds. Decide its fate on trunk merits rather than how quick to shoot. If the trunk is thin and plain like this one appears to be and it is slow to shoot I'd probably scrap it but if the trunk has good potential I'd persevere and hope it gets going.
It's Kev
Omono
@Shibui its in my 2023 air layer thread, since most of the heat is over I’ll boost it before winter, let’s see what it looks like next spring
This one though, I didn’t expect growth so high up, was hoping to do a second chop about halfway down, might airlayer this in spring too or just make a big ass cutting
This one though, I didn’t expect growth so high up, was hoping to do a second chop about halfway down, might airlayer this in spring too or just make a big ass cutting
It's Kev
Omono
I know I shouldn’t get overly excited, but I’ve wanted one of these for so long
giventofly
Shohin
keep posting updates
