The one characteristic of olive trees that endears it to commercial growers is the same characteristic that is the bane of those that consider it to be a pest:. .. its ability to grow and thrive in a multitude of conditions. Though they look and do best in deep, rich soil, they also grow well in shallow, alkaline and/or rocky areas with very little fertilizer.

"Both the practical and the mythical popularity of (olive) oil derive, at least partly, from the almost miraculous agronomic characteristics of the olive tree, which thrives even in desert conditions and, when destroyed by fire or frost, sends up green shoots from the root ball through which the tree is reborn." Once established, these trees require very little water.They prefer to live where summers are hot and dry but can also withstand temperatures down to 15° F/-9 C. Olive foliage is a willow-like soft grey green. Young trees generally have smooth gray trucks that become gnarled and picturesque over time. This aged and gnarled wood is highly prized by woodworkers and so is quite costly. An evergreen tree that prefers full sun, the olive tree can be found throughout the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Greece) which produces ¾ of the world's supply of olive oil as well as in California, Texas, southern Arizona, which produces less than .1% of the world's commercial olive oil, and more recently in Georgia and Florida which will see its first commercial crop since the late 1800s. Commercial varieties include Ascolana, Manzanillo, Mission, Sevillano. There are also several ornamental varieties, some of which produce little to no fruit. Arbequina, another commercial variety, is said to produce very high quality olive oil and is the recommended variety for commercial production in South Georgia and Florida. They are usually planted with companion plantings of Arbosana and Koroneiki to improve pollination and quality.

According to one agronomist, as reported by Tom Mueller, as olive trees age, their yield "is an upward curve, tending towards infinity." Since trees sold as 'fruitless' varieties for ornamental plantings are not always barren, care should be taken to gather, remove, and discard fallen fruit as it can stain pavement and harm lawns. The fruit is not edible unless processed. We will discuss how to process the olives for eating later in this book. Harvesting fruit that is destined for eating or oil production is a time consuming process as it is very important that it is not bruised. Bruising causes the development of acids that detract from the flavor and reduce its grade - and, therefore, the price it will fetch at market which can reach upwards of $3000/barrel for quality organic extra virgin. The best way to make sure the fruit is not bruised is to hand pick it, and this is mostly how olives are harvested. This is time and labor intensive.