What is the name of the olive flower?

Image – Wikimedia/Nefronus

In the Mediterranean region we find an evergreen tree that can live for about 500-600 years, and whose flowering is long awaited, because after that comes the ripening of the olives that we love so much. For this reason, it is interesting to learn more about this part of the plant, because after all, without it it would not produce fruit.

So I’ll tell you what is the name of olive flowerwhen it appears and what it needs to bloom as soon as possible.

What is the name of the olive flower?

The flower of our protagonist receives several names, such as cadillo, intrigue, eskimo or rapa, depending on the area. Each people has its own culture, its own language, and if we take into account the importance of plants for all of us, it should not surprise us that we call them something very unique to us. Of course, this can confuse us later, because it often happens that the same common name is used to designate several plants, whereas scientific names, being universal (in part, because each plant has only one accepted by botanists), this does not happen.

But it’s still interesting to know these names, since, as I say, they are also part of our culture. And, let’s face it, when we talk about plants, we don’t usually call them by their botanical name, but by the one we’ve heard the most throughout our lives. But let’s not get distracted.

How is the olive blossom and when does it appear?

Image – Wikimedia/H. Zelle

The olive tree produces flowers in short clusters, about five centimeters maximum, in spring (between April and May). said flowers They are small, measuring less than 0.5 cm.; Additionally, they have four white petals and an orange center.

Also, it is important to know that there are two types of flowers: the hermaphrodites, which are those which will produce the fruits, and the staminiferous which have only stamens and, therefore, are male, therefore they cannot produce olives.

At what age does the olive tree begin to flower?

The olive tree is a tree that generally takes a long time to produce its flowers. During its first years it grows a lot and at an interesting rate (around 30-40cm/year), so we can think that it will flower soon. But this is not the case, since we are talking about a plant that, to bear fruit, it must first spend some time (years) in the groundso that its roots “grab” it well and begin to supply water and nutrients to the rest of the tree.

For this reason, we must be patient if our intention is to grow an olive tree from seed, because the normal thing is that its first flowers sprout only after about 10 years. If it is a cutting, of course it will take much less time, about 4-5 years if it comes from a semi-woody branch. But in the same way we will have to give it some basic care so that it flourishes and bears fruit.

Why does olive blossom cause allergies?

Our protagonist is a tree that belongs to the Oleaceae family, a family that it shares with other very popular trees in gardens, such as the lilac (Syringa vulgaris), ash (Fraxinus) or privet (Ligustrum). Some people, myself included, can have a really bad time if we have one of these plants nearby.: our body overreacts to pollen, causing our eyes to irritate and/or redden, we sneeze and/or even cough a little. Because?

Well, the answer to that question should be given to you by a doctor, but from what I’ve read this this can be due to overexposure, as well as of course to a high concentration of said pollen. In other words, it is “easier” for someone who has lived all their life in the Mediterranean to have an allergy to olive pollen than someone who lives in, say, Norway, where the climate is too cold for this plant and therefore, so much where it cannot grow.

For this reason, if you also have an allergy to the olive tree, the best thing to do is not to leave the house in the middle of the day or, if necessary, to wear a mask (yes, the famous FFP2 serve you).

What are the needs of the olive tree?

For the olive tree to bloom it is very important that the weather be mild, even warm. Let’s remember that it is a native species of the Mediterranean area, where temperatures are around 35-40°C maximum (in summer), and -7°C in some places during the coldest month of the year, which depending on the area can be January or February. This means that in order to flower, there is no need for late frosts (in March/April), otherwise the flowers will be ruined.

In addition, it has to be in the sun all day. It is not a plant that can ever be shaded; in fact, from its youth it grows vertically, towards the most powerful source of light, the sun.

Related article:

How long does an olive tree live?

Is it good to water the flowering olive tree?

Image – Wikimedia/Julio Reis

In the city where I liveone of the driest on the island of Mallorca (only about 350 mm of precipitation falls on average, between spring, late summer and a little in winter), there are people who have olive trees and carob trees that take care of them; that is, they are not irrigated or anything, at most sometimes they are fertilized with organic fertilizers.

What I mean by that is that yes, you can water your flowering olive tree, but if it has been in the ground for a year or more, it is not necessary. Obviously, if you have it in a pot, it will have to be watered because otherwise it will dry out. Do it once or at most twice a week.

What do you think of olive blossom? Do you find it pretty?