Artificial olive tree: which size to choose, and where to put it

An artificial olive tree gives the look of a Mediterranean tree to a room that does not get enough sun for a real olive. Choose its size by the space: 140 cm on the floor, 65 cm on a piece of furniture, or three small trees as a group. Our artificial olive trees are made for indoors. Only one model, the 90 cm one, is listed by the manufacturer for outdoor use as well.

Why an artificial olive tree indoors

A real olive tree is a full-sun tree. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the British horticultural society, places it in full sun, in a sheltered spot, ideally against a south-facing wall. It advises growing it in a large container of 30 to 35 cm, outdoors in summer.

It is also a tree that grows tall. The RHS gives 4 to 8 m in height for the species, reached in 20 to 50 years.

In a living room, far from a window, these conditions are missing. An artificial olive tree keeps the silhouette of the tree, without needing sun. It suits an entrance hall, a study or a dim corner.

Four formats, four places

All pots are included. No cachepot is included.

The 140 cm tree, for the floor

This is the living-room olive tree. It has a slender trunk, light grey-green foliage and decorative olives. A tree with a bare trunk lets the wall behind it show through. So it takes up less visual space than a bushy plant of the same height.

Place it next to a sofa, a sideboard or a French window. For the right height for your ceiling and furniture, see our guide to the large artificial plant.

The 65 cm mini olive tree, for furniture

It fits on a sideboard, a console table or the corner of a desk. It can also go on the floor in a wider cachepot, in a small room. Its trunk and small leaves copy those of an olive tree.

The set of three mini olive trees, for a group

Three 65 cm trees, each in its own terracotta pot. Together, they fill a corner or a long sideboard. Apart, they go in three rooms: living room, kitchen, bedroom.

A group of three looks more natural than a row. Set them in a triangle, slightly staggered, rather than in a line.

The 90 cm olive tree, for indoors and outdoors

This is the only one of our olive trees that the manufacturer lists for outdoor use. It states that the foliage is UV-treated, to resist fading from the sun. The manufacturer mentions it for a balcony, a terrace, a shop entrance or a very bright room.

The product page says nothing about rain, wind or frost. Our guide to the outdoor artificial plant explains where to place it and how to protect it.

The 140 cm olive tree, on the other hand, does not go outside. Its product page says so clearly.

Sun, even through glass

For the 140 cm olive tree, the manufacturer advises keeping it away from long periods of direct sun. This sun can fade it over time.

The product pages for the mini olive trees say nothing on this point. To be safe, apply the same rule:

• Place the tree beside the window, not right in front of the glass.
• Avoid a south-facing window, which gets sun for the longest time.
• Turn the tree from time to time if one side gets more light than the other.

Hiding the pot

The basic pot is for transport. It does not look right in a well-decorated room. Slip it into a cachepot of your choice.

1. Measure the pot: 15 cm in diameter for the 140 and 90 cm olive trees, 10 cm for the mini olive trees.
2. Take a slightly wider cachepot that is heavy enough. Terracotta and ceramic go well with an olive tree.
3. Wedge the pot in the centre with gravel or sand.
4. Cover the surface with pale gravel or bark. The pot disappears, and the tree looks as if it is planted in soil.

Weighting matters most for the 140 cm tree. An artificial tree is light and tips over easily if someone brushes past it. To choose the container, see our guide to the decorative cachepot.

Making it believable

An artificial olive tree looks real when it is set up like a real tree.

• Open out the branches. They may arrive folded from transport. Spread them by hand, from bottom to top, in several directions.
• Show the underside of the leaves. The RHS describes the leaf of a real olive tree as silvery underneath. If the leaves of your tree have a paler underside, turn a few sprigs so that both sides show.
• Choose a logical place. An olive tree suggests light. Near a window, it looks at home. At the end of a corridor with no daylight, it looks odd.
• Remove the dust. A dry cloth, from time to time, keeps the grey-green of the foliage.

The other details that count are in our 7 signs of a realistic artificial plant. The whole range is on the artificial plants page.

In short

1. On the floor, take the 140 cm tree. On furniture, the 65 cm mini olive tree. For a group, the set of three.
2. For a balcony or a terrace, only the 90 cm olive tree is suitable: its foliage is UV-treated, according to the manufacturer.
3. Keep indoor olive trees away from long periods of direct sun.
4. Slip the basic pot into a wider cachepot, weighted and covered.
5. Open out the branches by hand and remove dust with a dry cloth.

Sources

• Olives: grow your own, Royal Horticultural Society
• Olea europaea, Royal Horticultural Society
• Manufacturer data sheets for the artificial olive trees (heights, pots, use, UV treatment)