Olea europaea subsp. sylvestris

Olea europaea subsp. sylvestris - Wild Olive

General:
The evergreen olive tree is native to the Mediterranean area and is of great cultural and historical importance. The plant is grown primarily for its fruits and over 1000 different olive tree varieties are known to date. Olive trees grow as a shrub or as a small tree. The plants grow slowly but can get very old. There are individual specimens that are estimated to be over 2000 years old.

Care as a bonsai:
Very beautiful bonsai can be made from olive trees. The good cut tolerance, the fine branching and the evergreen leaves are good prerequisites for this. In addition, the plant does not require any special care. It only needs a bright place and sufficient water and fertilizer during the growing season. However, it is sensitive to waterlogging and you should therefore use a structurally stable, airy substrate. Basically, like its relatives in the Mediterranean, the olive likes to be outdoors and in the sun. In winter, however, it must be protected from frost. You can also overwinter them in the house in a cool but bright place. You can cut, wire and shape the olive all year round.

Special features of the subspecies:
Compared to the cultivated forms, the wild olive grows even more compact, more densely branched and has small dark green leaves. This allows bonsai with particularly strong contours to be created from this plant.