Fruiting olive and fruitless olive tree varieties have a lot of things in common. They are both spectacular landscape trees that can provide shade, and both have a sculptural, multi-trunk structure that helps make them living works of art in any landscape. In fact, along with palms, they are practically a trademark along avenues and gardens throughout California and southern Arizona. Their soft, willow-like gray-green foliage complements most colors, and as they age, their smooth gray branches and trunks become gnarled, making them picturesque trees just begging to be highlighted with nighttime landscape lighting.

FRUITING OLIVE VS FRUITLESS OLIVE TREES: BOTH ARE INCREDIBLE LANDSCAPE TREES!

The one BIG difference, of course, is that the fruitless olive tree does not bear any fruit and produces no pollen! At Moon Valley Nurseries, we sell “certified fruitless varieties,” such as the Wilsonii olive tree, so that anyone can enjoy these beautiful specimens! The Wilsonii olive tree is one of the best fruitless varieties you can find, and we sell certified disease-free trees too so that you can have these beautiful landscape olive trees ready to add curb appeal and bring lots of shade to your yard! You can rest easy when buying our certified olive trees!

Olive is a fruit, a tasty, delicious one that can be eaten whole or pressed for oil. Moon Valley Nurseries has been growing the best-quality fruiting olive tree varieties for decades! And unlike other types of olive trees, such as those that are from the Central Valley Region in California, these types of olive trees we sell are certified disease-free and grown and nurtured on the largest local olive tree farm, located in Southern California! We have beautiful Manzanillo and Mission olives, two of the most popular varieties prized for their culinary use and oil!

Where Do Olives Grow

If you are looking for an iconic Mediterranean tree that thrives in areas with hot, dry summers but also perform well in coastal areas, you cannot go wrong with any of the olive trees from Moon Valley Nurseries! Fruitless or fruiting – we got you covered! Be sure to purchase our guaranteed disease-free olives, not those other less superior olives from the Central Valley area!

These trees love to grow in the coastal areas of California. After all, our climate is very similar to that of their native land – the Mediterranean. They can grow on hillsides, and when fully developed, they can provide a great deal of shade! We like to plant them to line a driveway, and if you plan to grow them along a path, you’ll probably want to go with a fruitless variety such as Wilsonii. Of course, both types of olive trees are drought-tolerant once established so that they are ideal for any landscape in California! As a bonus, when properly cared for, these trees can live for hundreds of years so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come!

Manzanillo Olive (Olea europaea ‘Manzanillo’): One of the best, high-quality olive fruit producing trees you can find is the Manzanillo! A natural fit in dry climates, these trees are cold hardy and resistant to high summer heat. They are self-fruitful and bear the famous rich black and green olives that can be pickled or pressed for oil. These are excellent picking fruit, whether green or black and have the superb taste and texture that is loved by people all over the world. In fact, these olives are noted as being one of the best table varieties. We recommend planting a second one nearby for the best fruit production. They are also excellent shade trees thanks to a tight growth pattern that creates a full crown and a look that can complement almost any architectural style. These certified disease-free olives are the perfect choice for adding year-round interest to any water-wise landscape design!

Mission Olive (Olea europaea ‘Mission’): We grow these disease-free Mission Olive trees just north of Temecula in Southern California so that they are ready to thrive in any landscape. This evergreen variety is a cultivar of olive that was developed in California, by the Spanish missions in the late 18th century along El Camino Real, hence the name. This cultivar is also a favorite for olive oil producers and is a standard table olive in households and restaurants throughout the world. Like other types of olive trees, these can grow to be medium-sized and when fully grown can provide a generous amount of shade. We like to plant them in locations that could benefit from a beautiful shade tree. This attractive evergreen is a must-have in any edible landscape! Water-wise and ready to bring plenty of year-round interest!

Fruitless Olive (Olea europaea ‘Wilsonii’): These certified fruitless strains and disease-free olives have grown their entire lives in the hot and dry inland climate, so they are a far superior choice than those from the California Central Valley region. They can grow to be medium-sized trees so that they are the perfect fit for any landscape! These evergreens can grow with a wide-spreading canopy so that they are also ideal as a shade tree or used as a silhouette against structures! Plus, they can tolerate a variety of soils, including poor, stony, shallow soils, so we like to plant them in a location where they are sure to add plenty of year-round interest. They also have the impressive multi-trunk structure that makes them an excellent choice for exhibition by landscape lighting, where they add drama and curb appeal to any yard!

Moon Valley Nurseries is the grower of these ancient trees so that we can assure their quality is the best you'll find anywhere! We are responsible growers, which is why we only sell certified disease-free olive trees and certified fruitless strains! We have a massive inventory and a premium-quality selection so that homeowners, contractors, businesses, parks and city municipalities can have the perfect trees for the perfect spot!

#FREEPLANTING makes it easy to have a dream landscape with edible fruit or landscape trees handpicked by you and planted by our professional planting crew! Let us do the work so that you can come home to a beautiful new yard!