Why Olive Trees in Portland?
Welcome to a fresh take on Portland landscaping, where each client’s garden is crafted with care, precision, and a touch of the unexpected. As a dedicated landscape designer, I take great joy in transforming outdoor spaces using drought-tolerant and unique plants. Portland homeowners often seek a landscape that stands out, featuring plants that are not only resilient but also unusual and captivating. Enter using the unexpected: olive trees in Portland!
Embrace the Beauty of Unique, Drought-Tolerant Landscapes with Olive Trees in Portland
Olive trees, celebrated for their year long silvery leaves and calming presence, are becoming a favorite in Portland. They fit beautifully into small urban gardens, offering evergreen elegance throughout the winter. Not only are they drought-tolerant, but some varieties may even surprise you with fruit—olives, of course! Placing these trees requires a well educated and artistic touch to ensure they thrive, making your garden plantings resilient and attractive. They are also a favorite for modern landscape design style in Portland.
Learning Through Decades of Keen Observation of Portland Landscapes
My passion for plant placement stems from years of observation. As I explore Portland’s streets, visit new and old client landscapes, and participate in local garden tours, I collect insights from each tree and unique plant. A notable lesson came when olive trees in Portland — on NW 19th and Pettygrove — faced our worst ever winter cold February of 2024 with an unusually frigid and powerful east wind. So many broadleaf evergreens in Portland were damaged beyond anything I’ve ever seen but these mature trees maintained their serene and glowing leaves with no damage at all. They’ve stood the test of time in a south-facing, east-protected location—a testament to thoughtful placement.
The Right Plant in the Right Place
From experience, I know that plant exposure is a key to the right location for a plant. My go-to rule for olive trees is a southern or southwest exposure, where city structures can shield them from harsh winds and cold east exposure. Such insights are enriched by conversations with experts like Sean Hogan at Cistus Designs and Barbara Porter of Oregon Olive Trees in Dallas Oregon, alongside valuable reads like Pacific Horticulture…….. and talking with other landscape designers and of course Mike Darcy.
Research: More Than a Popularity Contest
When researching plant care, I rely on trusted sources, avoiding the echo chamber of unreliable websites. By echo chamber I mean the tendency of people to simply copy information about a plant from a web site into their blog or their retail plant web site without checking its accuracy. Finding the same information about a plant on ten web sites doesn’t make it accurate. Cross-referencing reliable information and consulting knowledgeable peers ensures that my recommendations are tailored to Portland’s unique climate, rather than simply following internet trends.
Planning for Success with Olive Trees in Portland, Oregon
Take, for instance, a client’s heart felt desire for an olive tree in an east exposure. My client was willing to gamble so despite breaking my rule, the olive tree is thriving, in part thanks to a strategically placed near by building providing some protection from harsh winds and early morning sun. This success story (so far so good) underscores the importance of customizing each landscape plan to the client and to the site. However I will only call it a true success after this olive tree has made it 5 years.
Recently, (February 2025) I stumbled upon mature olive trees thriving in an unexpected east-facing location, providing me with more opportunities to learn. These trees were only a mile away from the NW Pettygrove street trees. My curiosity is aroused but until proven otherwise, I’ll continue recommending south or southwest exposure for optimal olive tree cold hardiness, resilience and growth.
The Power of Collaboration and Innovative Design
Nature occasionally challenges our expectations. While I have principles for placing olive trees, I remain open to learning from nature’s surprises and integrating these lessons into future projects.
Contact me
Ultimately, creating a garden with a diverse, low water to drought-tolerant palette is our passion. Whether you dream of a pollinator plant paradise, more traditional plants, or unique Mediterranean plants like olive trees, our success is measured by how well we fulfill your needs and wants. By combining our expertise with your known desired wish list or vision, we can craft a landscape that is unique and enduring.
I enjoy talking with prospective Portland clients so contact me and let’s talk. Stay tuned for our next blog, where I will share more practical advice for enhancing cold hardiness in your plants, including olive trees.
burgundy.
East winter wind
One of the common mistakes with Manzanita is to underestimate the width of the shrubs and small trees. Most cannot be pruned heavily and can be rendered so unattractive by pruning that tries to contain them, they will be removed. If you have no pruning skills (and most people don’t) be sure to place these plants where they have room to mature with yearly tip pruning only.
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Restore leggy sparse leafed Nandina plants
We could correct these ugly leggy Nandinas’ appearance in one year by applying the pruning technique I have illustrated here. These Nandina domestica ‘Gulfstream’ could look amazing with regular irrigation and pruning once every year or two.
Colorful Four Season Plant for Portland Residential Landscape Designs
Disadvantages
How I Use Nandina in Garden Designs
Plant Partners
