Black Olive Tree

This short fruit tree grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and lives for up to 20 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 31 years old. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a flexible, curved trunk covered in knobbly, white with black speckled bark, and inside, the very light wood is black.

The abundance of branches are tall, rigid and upright and are covered with small amounts of large, pleated leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are solid lime or gentle orange, with deep yellow dots.

In early spring, it produces hundreds of medium-sized, red blossoms with kidney-shaped shaped petals. They are hardy and have a fairly strong scent that smells like cotton.

In early autumn it produces tiny, pleated fruit. The fuzzy dark brown skin is stretchy and inedible, and the soft red flesh is salty and dry. The olive seed is small and sits at the top of the fruit.

The roots are thick and spread across the surface, as well as underground, and overall the tree is rigid and brittle.

Forests of this species feature the trees packed together densely, with patches of undergrowth between them.