OLIVE TREE VARIETIES
Arbequina
Spanish variety of medium vigor mainly used in the SHD planting system. Early production in 3rd year, fruit ripens October/November. Small fruit, but good yields of olive oil characterized by fruity and mild nature. Relatively cold hardy and widely adaptable.
Arbosana
A medium to low vigor Spanish variety mainly used in the SHD planting system. Heavy early cropping of olives which produce a green type olive oil with high levels of polyphenols. Harvests October/November. Bushy growth habit.
Ascolano
A cold-hardy table variety enjoyed as a table olive. It is also grown in California for olive oil. When harvested and milled when very ripe the resulting olive oil can exhibit an exceedingly fruity character, described by professional tasters as redolent of tropical fruit and peaches.
Origin: Italy (Le Marche)
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Koroneiki
A medium to high vigor Greek variety well suited for the SHD planting system. Ripens earlier than Arbosana. Produces high quality green olive oil that is highly marketable. Low resistance to cold. Most popular variety in Greece.
Cerasuola
Cerasuola is a hearty varietal olive, medium in size and with a deep green color that turns black when ripe.
Origin: Italy
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Chemlali
Large, vigorous tree. Small fruit. Self-fertile.
Origin: Tunisia
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Coratina
Vigorous tree to 30'> Beautiful gray-green color. Large fruit. Needs a pollinator. One of the most important Italian varieties, especially favoured in the area of Puglia, the largest olive growing area of Italy and also available in Argentina, Australia, and Northern California. This olive has a naturally high level of polyphenols, which yield a robust tasting olive oil.
Origin: Italy, Croatia
Hojiblanca
Large fruit, up to 4.8 grams (0.17 oz), a flesh to stone is 8:1, and an oil yield of 17-19%. Flavors attributed to the variety: Slightly sweet to start with a bitter taste of unripe fruits and an almond aftertaste. Its oil is widely appreciated for its slightly bitter flavor.
Origin: Spain (Lucena)
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Manzanilla
A large tree, 25'-30', with purple-green skin. "Manzanillas" means little apples in Spanish. Known for a rich taste and thick pulp, it is a prolific bearer, grown around the world.
Origin: Spain
Mission
Mission trees can reach heights of 40' and 50'. They produce small fruit, typically of around 4.1 grams (0.14 oz). It has the lowest flesh-to-pit ratio (6.5:1) and greatest cold resistance of any commercial cultivar in California. Mission olives are harvested for table use from late October through November; for oil production, they are harvested between mid-December and February. Originated on the California Missions and is now grown throughout the state. They are black and generally used for table consumption.
Origin: California
Nocellara
The medium sized fruit boasts a high flesh to pit ratio (85-88%), and good weight (5-7 grams). Table fruit is harvested green for best curing. As a dual purpose olive, fruit can be harvested at the rosy blush color stage to produce olive oil well known for its special quality and dynamic flavor profile. Trees are adaptable to most soils and container growing. The tree is hardy and fully appreciates a good heat wave in summer, while sensitive to over-watering. The dense crown of this medium sized (20') tree offers good productivity on lush branches with broad leaves that are darker green in color than other olive tree varieties. This native Sicilian olive tree offers meaty fruit with a uniquely nutty and buttery flavor, making it one of the most sought after varieties in the world
Origin: Sicily
Picual
Short, bushy tree with particularly gray leaves. It is generally medium-sized to thick and weighs about 3.2 grams. The flesh-to-pit ratio is about 5.6. It ripens between the second week of November and the third week of December. The oil yield is very good and can sometimes be up to 27%. Self-fertile.
Origin: Spain
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Picudo
The drupe is black when ripe and it is characterized by being the second largest of those that are used to obtain oil. Its average weight is about 4.8 grams. The fruit-to-pit ratio is high, about 6.3. It ripens between the fourth week of November and the end of December and the oil yield is good, but not as good as the picual, with figures of around 20%. It is an excellent choice for table olives, both green and Californian style.
Origin: Spain