Black olive trees admired by Plantopinions experts for their shady character.
Black olive trees have always had a shady character, which is why they’re also known as Shady Ladies. Lush Oriental-style branch layers will calm you. A wide-spreading canopy will cool you. If you add a Shady Lady to your Florida landscape, sitting in its shade will be the most tranquil part of your day. But other than good looks, is it a “good tree”? ArtisTree Plantopinions experts weigh in.
Joe Mantkowski, ArtisTree VP Landscape Design
Black olive trees are a sought-after tree that Sarasota homeowners often (and gladly) want to incorporate into their landscapes to comply with certain local tree-code requirements. Their textured, layered canopy provides dense shade for any outdoor living area. They’re also salt- and drought-tolerant, and once established, remain low-maintenance while not growing too fast or large. They do offer yellow flowers (nothing sizeable) in the spring. They also drop a lot of leaves, but the leaf size is very small so it’s not a big negative. Another drawback is that they’re cold-susceptible. Frosts and freezes can impact them and possibly kill them. Still, a great choice when planted in the right location.
Clinton Lak, ArtisTree Landscape Designer
I like the Shady Lady Black Olive in any place where a small-to-medium shade tree is desired. They’re prized for their evergreen foliage, interesting branching structure and layered look. They work particularly well in Japanese and contemporary gardens as a dense, fine textured specimen. They also work well as street trees in warmer microclimates (“West of Trail”). Black olive trees are medium- to fast-paced growers that have a much smaller stature (and root system) then the majority of the shade trees in our area. The layering is typically muted in juvenile trees until the tree reaches a “high single digit” trunk caliper. Appreciating this tree in the daytime is only half the fun since they look amazing when properly lit to cast interesting shadows. Be careful when using these out east since they’re cold sensitive and might get damaged or even fail during freeze events. Caution should also be used around hardscapes since their leaf shedding will stain (particularly light-colored finishes).
Chris Culp, ArtisTree Landscape Designer
I’ve always liked Shady Lady Black Olive trees. They have a pseudo-bonsai type of look with really cool branching. The first thing you’ll notice is that they have small leaves that can become quite dense in a pleasing way. They won’t work in a tight spot, though. They’re one of those trees that needs to have some space because they can grow up to 50-ft. wide. I don’t recommend planting them near driveways or walkways since the blooms will stain when they drop. On another note, we often use this specimen to satisfy Sarasota County code tree requirements.
Brian Clouser, ArtisTree Landscape Designer
I like to use Black Olive trees as a smaller alternative to oaks with big wide roots. Cold tolerance would probably be my biggest concern. I don’t really have anything negative to say other than making sure you leave space around the tree to accommodate future size. They’re fairly easy to grow and have lower maintenance needs. Pests and diseases aren’t a major concern. They work best as a street, specimen or shade tree and provide a cool, Zen-like aesthetic at the same time.
Elisabeth Owen, ArtisTree Landscape Designer
The Black Olive Shady Lady is my most favorite shade tree. With the look of a natural bonsai, it has an Oriental garden appeal when young. It grows in layered tiers with distinct spacing between each set of horizontal branches. It also has beautiful deep-green foliage that’s a year-round constant. Each of these trees is unique and grows differently. After its Oriental garden youth, a young tree may develop a somewhat funky appearance because the foliage often grows into an irregular oval shape, with tops or shoots going out in odd directions. But you’ll find that all these growth stages pay off as the tree matures to form a well-shaped rounded crown.These are true tropical trees that will drop their leaves in a freeze, but in most cases they recover. They’re also salt-tolerant, making them a fine choice for coastal environments. They need regular watering, but it’s important you let them they dry out between irrigation events. Black olive trees also make a good screen if you have a larger property or even a busy roadway to block out. I’ve used them for a neighbor who wanted to screen out a two-story apartment complex erected right behind her property. Because they’re evergreen, they can be paired with understory shade-garden plants like philodendrons, gingers, Ti plants and crotons to bring out some color and highlight leaf textures. There’s also a dwarf variety that grows to 15-20′.
Conan Michel, Landscape Operations Manager
I really like the Black Olive Shady Lady which is a cultivar of the Black Olive tree. It’s not native to Florida, but it’s naturalized to our state and does particularly well in South Florida. It’s unique in that its branches grow in horizontal layers when younger. Small, dark green leaves give it a very tropical appearance. As the tree matures, it will fill in and take on a round, full-canopy appearance. While a great shade tree, it needs room to grow, sometimes reaching 50 feet tall and wide. Its roots aren’t as invasive as an oak tree since they grow downward. Because of pest droppings that feed on the the foliage, it can sometimes cause rust-colored staining on sidewalks, streets and objects underneath. But overall, black olives are wonderful trees installed in the right location.
ArtisTree VP/Landscape Joe Mantkowski & landscape designers Clinton Lak, Chris Culp, Brian Clouser, Elisabeth Owen, plus Landscape Operations Manager Conan Michel.
ArtisTree “Plantopinions” is a roundtable debate between multiple ArtisTree experts on the virtues of various plant specimens. Sometimes there’s consensus and sometimes not. In the end, you are the judge.
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