Arbequina Olive

Olea europaea 'Arbequina'

fruit

Arbequina is a compact Spanish olive that has become the favorite for home gardens and even patio containers, because it bears young, stays relatively small, and is self-fruitful, so a single tree sets a crop on its own. Its small dark olives are prized for a delicate, buttery oil and can also be brine-cured for the table. The tree is a classic Mediterranean evergreen with narrow, silvery gray-green leaves, gnarled character with age, and remarkable toughness once established - shrugging off heat, drought, and poor soil. It brings an unmistakable Mediterranean look to a warm-climate garden and rewards patience with fragrant spring bloom and fall fruit.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Lavender — A classic Mediterranean companion that loves the same hot, dry, well-drained conditions and draws pollinators
• Rosemary — A drought-tough aromatic shrub that thrives alongside olives and helps deter some pests
• Yarrow — A tough perennial that attracts beneficial insects and tolerates lean, dry soil

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Olive fruit fly →

  The key pest where olives are grown - hang traps, harvest promptly, and clean up fallen fruit that breeds the maggots; for oil, press quickly after picking

• Black scale →

  A sticky scale that fosters sooty mold - prune for airflow, treat with horticultural oil, and control ants

• Verticillium wilt →

  A soil fungus that wilts branches - plant in well-drained ground with no history of the disease and avoid wet feet

• Peacock spot →

  A leaf fungus causing dark ringed spots in wet weather - prune for airflow and apply a copper spray if needed

🌾 Harvest & storage

Arbequina is precocious, often setting small crops within 1 to 2 years and bearing well by 3 to 4. Olives ripen in late fall, roughly October into November, turning from green to purple to black as they mature. Pick green for a sharper oil or table olive, or fully black for a milder, riper flavor. One important note: raw olives are intensely bitter and inedible straight off the tree - they must be cured (in brine, salt, or water over weeks) or pressed for oil before eating. Pick by hand-stripping or by raking branches over a tarp.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Cured olives are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, with fiber and iron, and are naturally high in sodium from brine curing (about 115 calories per 100 g). Olive oil pressed from the fruit is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. Remember that olives must be cured or pressed before eating.