Manzanillo Olive is a widely grown and highly regarded variety known for its excellent fruit quality and versatility. It produces medium-sized, fleshy olives ideal for both table use and oil production. The tree has a classic Mediterranean form, developing a broad, rounded canopy with attractive silver-green foliage, making it both productive and ornamental in the landscape.
Fruit Colour: Green when unripe, maturing to deep purple-black
Fruit Shape: Round to slightly oval (“apple-shaped”)
Fruit Size: Medium
Flavour: Mild, slightly nutty, well-balanced; excellent texture for processing
Fruit Season: Autumn
Cropping Habit: Heavy and reliable crops on mature trees
Best Uses: Table olives, pickling, oil production, Mediterranean cooking
Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Watering frequency: Regular during establishment; low water needs once established with deep, infrequent watering preferred
Soil: Well-draining soil; tolerates sandy, loamy, and poorer soils but dislikes waterlogging
Skill level: Beginner
Growth rate: Slow to moderate
Suitable for container gardens: Yes, suitable when young and with pruning
Mature Height: 4–6 m
Mature Width: 3–5 m
Seasonality: Evergreen
Drought Tolerant: High once established
Frost Tolerant: Moderate; tolerates light to moderate frost
Wind Tolerant: High; performs well in exposed and coastal conditions
Leaf colour: Grey-green with silvery underside
Leaf Variegation pattern: No
Size of leaf: 3–8 cm, narrow, leathery
Manzanillo Olive is a widely grown and highly regarded variety known for its excellent fruit quality and versatility. It produces medium-sized, fleshy olives ideal for both table use and oil production. The tree has a classic Mediterranean form, developing a broad, rounded canopy with attractive silver-green foliage, making it both productive and ornamental in the landscape.
Fruit Colour: Green when unripe, maturing to deep purple-black
Fruit Shape: Round to slightly oval (“apple-shaped”)
Fruit Size: Medium
Flavour: Mild, slightly nutty, well-balanced; excellent texture for processing
Fruit Season: Autumn
Cropping Habit: Heavy and reliable crops on mature trees
Best Uses: Table olives, pickling, oil production, Mediterranean cooking
Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Watering frequency: Regular during establishment; low water needs once established with deep, infrequent watering preferred
Soil: Well-draining soil; tolerates sandy, loamy, and poorer soils but dislikes waterlogging
Skill level: Beginner
Growth rate: Slow to moderate
Suitable for container gardens: Yes, suitable when young and with pruning
Mature Height: 4–6 m
Mature Width: 3–5 m
Seasonality: Evergreen
Drought Tolerant: High once established
Frost Tolerant: Moderate; tolerates light to moderate frost
Wind Tolerant: High; performs well in exposed and coastal conditions
Leaf colour: Grey-green with silvery underside
Leaf Variegation pattern: No
Size of leaf: 3–8 cm, narrow, leathery
