Try growing your own olives with this ornamental evergreen with fragrant small white flowers when established.
Ideal grown as an indoor houseplant or to add a touch of the Mediterranean to your patio during the summer.
Protect plants from frost.
Height: Up to 3m (10ft)
Sow at any time of year.
Sow into pots or trays of moist seed compost and cover with a 3mm (⅛in) layer of compost or vermiculite. Place in a propagator or warm place, and keep at a temperature of around 18-21C (65-70F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 1-4 months.
Pot on as required finally into 25-30cm (10-12in) pots. Water moderately and provide a temperature of 7-15C (45-60F) throughout the winter.
Plants can be stood outside in a sunny sheltered spot for the summer and given frost protection for the winter.