Description

If you want the olive tree look but don’t have space for a 30ft giant, you’ve got options. Olives are naturally slow-growing and take pruning really well, so keeping them small is easy.

*Small olive tree options:*

*1. Dwarf / patio varieties*
– *Little Ollie / ‘Montra’*: Non-fruiting dwarf. Stays 4-6 ft tall and wide. Tight, dark green leaves with silvery undersides. Great for hedges or containers.
– *‘Skylark Dwarf’*: Fruits but stays compact, around 6-8 ft. Good for small gardens.
– *‘Arbequina’*: Spanish cultivar. Naturally small, 8-12 ft in ground, even smaller in pots. Self-fertile and produces olives young. Very popular for containers.
– *‘Koroneiki’*: Greek, 6-10 ft. Small leaves, weeping habit. Heavy olive producer but needs hot, dry climate.

*2. Regular olives kept small*
Any _Olea europaea_ can be kept 3-6 ft with pruning. They’re slow and don’t mind being in pots. Root restriction in containers naturally dwarfs them too.

*Care for small/container olives:*
– *Sun*: Full sun, at least 6 hours. More sun = tighter growth
– *Pot*: Terracotta with drainage. Start 12-14″ pot, size up every 2-3 years. They like being a bit root-bound
– *Soil*: Well-drained, gritty. Cactus mix + perlite or 50/50 potting soil and sand
– *Water*: Little water. Let top 2″ dry out. Overwatering is the main killer
– *Prune*: Late winter/early spring. Pinch tips to keep bushy. Remove suckers from base. You can even bonsai them
– *Cold*: Most tolerate light frost to about 15-20°F once mature, but small potted ones are less hardy. In Dubai you’re fine — they love heat

*Size guide:*
Setup Typical size Fruit?
**Little Ollie in pot** 3-6 ft No
**Arbequina in 16″ pot** 4-7 ft Yes, after 2-3 years
**Standard olive, pruned** 5-8 ft Yes, if variety fruits
**Bonsai olive** 6 in – 3 ft Rarely
In Dubai’s climate, ‘Arbequina’ does really well in pots on a sunny balcony.