Plant care card

Olive tree

Olea europaea · Olivo

Also called common olive or European olive

Photo by Forest and Kim Starr on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 US

A live olive tree can do well in a pot if it gets your sunniest spot, a gritty mix that drains fast and a cool winter. Water it regularly in spring and summer and keep it barely moist in winter, because soggy soil rots the roots. Light is the hard part: every source asks for full sun, and a warm, dim room all winter means no flowers and no olives.

Grove care rating

Easy to moderate 4 of 10

A potted tree that spends winter indoors.

Not rated for pets

The ASPCA lists only Russian and autumn olive (Elaeagnus). Those are a different plant. NC State gives no toxicity rating for the olive tree. No trusted source rates it, so keep it out of reach of pets that chew plants until one does. Children: NC State gives no poison information; fresh olives are too bitter to eat until cured.

Pet poison line: ASPCA (888) 426-4435

Good for: a very sunny window or sunroom, a patio in summer, people who water on the light side · Think twice if: your brightest window gets only a few hours of sun, you want olives but have no cool spot for winter, you garden in southern California or the Central Valley, where it escapes.

Needs at a glance

Light4 of 4 · Direct sun6+ hours: your sunniest window, and outside in summer if you can
Water2 of 3 · Let the top dryWater regularly in spring and summer; keep it barely moist in winter
Humidity1 of 3 · AverageA normal home is fine; it prefers dry air
Soil when pottedGritty, soil-based mixFast draining, in a pot at least 12 inches wide with drain holes

Indoors: best at 40 to 50°F (4 to 10°C). Keep it above 32°F (0°C) and away from drafts and heat vents.

How the rating adds up

0 = easiest · 1 = moderate · 2 = hardest

Missed waterings1 of 2 · ModerateDrought tolerant in the ground; a dry pot drops leaves
Light flexibility2 of 2 · HardestNeeds full sun, 6 or more hours
Humidity0 of 2 · EasiestLikes dry air; no extra humidity needed
Pests and disease1 of 2 · ModerateScale insects, olive scab, root rot in wet soil
Sensitivity to change0 of 2 · EasiestSheds some old leaves each spring, which is normal

Growing outdoors

All year: USDA zones 8 to 10, where the coldest winter nights average 10°F (−12°C) or warmer.

Elsewhere: summer outside in full sun. Bring it in before nights drop below 32°F (0°C).

Invasive: Cal-IPC lists it as a limited invasive in California; fruitless cultivars don’t spread by seed.

Containers
Fruit tree in warm climates
Ornamental tree
Bonsai

Sources: NC State, RHS, UF/IFAS, Texas A&M, NYBG, ASPCA plant list, USDA zone map and Cal-IPC. Full list below.

Verified November 2026 · How we rate plants

Can an olive tree grow indoors?

Yes, in a pot, if you can give it two things: full sun and a cool winter. The New York Botanical Garden and NC State both describe a container olive that comes inside for the cold months to a cool, protected spot, and the RHS says to move pots somewhere frost free for winter. Give it your sunniest window and, if you can, a summer outside in full sun. We found no university source written for an olive kept indoors all year, so think of it as a sun-loving tree that spends winter inside.

NYBG, NC State, RHS

How much light does an olive tree need indoors?

As much as you can give it. NC State asks for full sun, 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, and the RHS, UF/IFAS and Texas A&M all ask for a sunny spot. Texas A&M adds that shaded shoots won't flower or fruit. Indoors, that means your sunniest window. No source says whether a window alone is enough, so a summer outside in full sun is the safer bet.

NC State, RHS, UF/IFAS, Texas A&M

How often should I water a potted olive tree?

It depends on the season. From spring to late summer, water regularly and keep the mix moist; in winter, keep it barely moist, the RHS says. A pot dries out much faster than the ground, and a dry olive drops its older leaves and browns at the leaf edges. Too much water is the bigger danger: soggy soil and poor drainage lead to root rot. Check the soil before you water, and raise the pot on feet so the water drains away.

RHS, UF/IFAS, Texas A&M, NC State

Why is my olive tree dropping leaves?

Start with the soil. A pot that dried out drops older leaves and browns the leaf edges on the sunny side; a pot that stays wet can rot the roots. Some yellowing and leaf drop in spring is normal, as the tree sheds its older leaves. Round purple or brown spots before the leaves fall point to olive scab, a disease spread by splashing water: clear away fallen leaves and give the tree more air. Check stems and leaves for scale insects too. We found no olive source that blames low winter light for leaf drop.

RHS, NC State, UF/IFAS, Texas A&M

Will a potted olive tree grow olives?

It can, but don't count on it. We found no source that reports an olive fruiting indoors. To flower, it needs a cool winter: about two months at 40 to 50°F (4 to 10°C), say NC State and the New York Botanical Garden, while Texas A&M gives 4 to 6 weeks near 53°F (12°C). A warm living room all winter likely means no flowers, so no fruit. Olives form on sunny, year-old wood, usually after 3 to 5 years. Some varieties, such as 'Arbequina' and 'Mission', set fruit on their own; others crop better with a second variety nearby. Fresh olives are too bitter to eat until they're cured.

NYBG, NC State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS, RHS

When should I prune an olive tree?

In spring or early summer, and never in fall or winter, when the new growth can freeze. The RHS gives two timings in two guides, early spring in one and late spring to early summer in the other. Texas A&M allows spring to late summer, and the RHS says to stop after August. Cut dead or damaged wood back to a side shoot and thin the crown to let light in; UF/IFAS adds that an open crown means less disease. Skip hard cuts, which push out tall, upright shoots. To keep a potted tree small, pinch the growing tips at about 5 feet (1.5 m) and tip-prune the main branches each year.

RHS, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS

Is an olive tree safe for cats and dogs?

We can't say yet. The ASPCA doesn't list the olive tree (the Russian and autumn olives on its list are a different plant, Elaeagnus), and NC State gives no toxicity rating. We found no reputable source that calls it toxic either. Until a trusted source rates it, keep it where pets that like to chew can't reach it. If a pet eats part of the plant and seems unwell, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

ASPCA plant list, NC State

How do I care for an olive tree in winter?

Give it a cool, bright spot. A potted tree should come in before nights drop to 32°F (0°C): Texas A&M says the tender tips get damaged just below freezing. The RHS wraps pots that stay outside once it drops below 23°F (−5°C). Inside, the coolest bright room is best, since about two months at 40 to 50°F (4 to 10°C) is what it needs to flower next year. Keep the soil barely moist and wait until spring to feed it.

Texas A&M, RHS, NYBG, NC State

Can an olive tree grow outdoors?

Yes, all year in USDA zones 8 to 10, where the coldest winter nights average 10°F (−12°C) or warmer, say NC State and the New York Botanical Garden. Texas A&M is more cautious: in Texas it advises against planting at or north of zone 8A, it says about 10°F kills even mature trees, and young or potted trees take much less cold. In the ground it grows slowly to 13 to 30 feet tall in full sun and well-drained soil. One caution: Cal-IPC lists it as a limited invasive in California, where birds and mammals spread the fruit into grasslands and shrublands, and NC State reports it invasive in Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. Fruitless cultivars such as 'Swan Hill' and 'Wilsoni' avoid that.

NC State, NYBG, USDA zone map, Texas A&M, RHS, Cal-IPC

How Grove helps

Grove sets a watering check based on how dry the soil is, so the pot gets water when it needs it and nobody soaks it in winter. You can add moving it outside in spring and bringing it in before frost as tasks and assign them, so whoever is home that day carries the pot.

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