Olea europaea Grossanne - Olive Tree

The 'Olive tree or Olea europaea 'Grossanne', also known as 'Groussan' is native to the Baux de Provence valley. It is a self-fertile variety that is rather early, appreciated for its hardiness and robustness. The tree produces oval-shaped olives of a good size, which can be used both as table olives and for oil production. The olives can be harvested while still green or when fully ripe and black in November. The 'Grossanne' can withstand short frosts of around -12 to -15°C in well-drained soil. However, like all olive trees, it needs a long warm period between summer and autumn to ripen its fruits.

Do not buy an old subject that has been uprooted without care from its native soil: it will take 5 or 10 years to recover or perish. Instead, plant a young olive tree that is "happy in its pot", water it regularly for the first two or three summers, and you will be surprised at how quickly it grows!

The presence of Olea europaea, simply called Olive, all around the Mediterranean, dates back to ancient times, to the flood, one could say. Both an ornamental tree and a food tree, it is inseparable from the Mediterranean landscape, just like the fig tree, the holm oak, the Provence cypress 'Pyramidalis', the pomegranate, and the grapevine. This emblematic tree has given its name to the botanical family Oleaceae.

Olea europaea 'Grossane' has a characteristic olive tree silhouette, with a rather short trunk that becomes twisted with age, topped by a widely rounded canopy that can be shaped through pruning. Eventually, after many years, it reaches a height of 3 to 4 m with a spread of 2 to 3 m. Its growth is rather slow. Its evergreen foliage consists of opposite, entire, elliptical leaves that are leathery and covered with scale-like hairs, more or less narrow, measuring 3 to 7 cm in length. They cover branches dotted with overlapping scales. Their colour is a mix of green and grey, with the undersides of the leaves being fuzzy and silvery. The brief  flowering occurs during one week between March and May, depending on the climate. The white or yellowish flowers are grouped in axillary panicles. The fruits, the olives, are fleshy, oval drupes with hard stones, green and then turning violet to black when ripe. They have an extremely bitter taste and are not edible as they are: they need to undergo processing or a very long ripening period off the tree before consumption. This fruiting occurs after ten years. The bark of this olive tree is grey and smooth when young and cracks with age, while the tree produces shoots at the base of the trunk.

The 'Grossane' olive is larger than those of other varieties which is how it got its name. Its flesh is pulpy and relatively soft. Enthusiasts will say that its oil is mild and fruity, while experts will say that it has a "black fruity" flavour with notes of almond. It is also described, in the case of green fruity, as having "oil without pungency or bitterness, with a light fruity flavour with hints of grapefruit and tomato". "In the case of black fruity, this olive ferments quickly and, when combined with other varieties, it contributes to enhancing the aromatic profile with notes of candied fruits and jam without causing a significant increase in acidity."

The 'Grossane' olive tree is very resistant to drought and it prefers well-drained, even rocky soils. However, it cannot tolerate humid and very cold winters. However, fans of this small tree can still adopt it in a large container, protecting it from severe cold in winter.

The 'Grossane' olive tree naturally finds a place in a Mediterranean garden, orchard, or near a terrace. When planted as a solitary specimen, it adds character to the garden. Avoid planting it in a regularly watered lawn in summer, as it is not suitable. A climbing rose such as 'Alberic Barbier', 'Albertine', 'Felicia', or 'Senator Lafolette' is often planted at the base of an olive tree in the south. Although it may not aid harvesting (in November), they form a charming and elegant duo when the rose is in bloom. Further north, it is best to cultivate it next to oleanders in large containers that can be sheltered in winter.

A very old tree: the Olive tree, named "The King of Kings" in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the Alpes-Maritimes region, has a trunk with a circumference of 20m, encompassing the surrounding rocks; it is estimated to be 1000 to 2000 years old.