The Royal tree

The most common Olive (Olea europea) is a hardy tree, cultivated since antiquity for its hard wood and versatile fruit. Although it adapts well to different kinds of soil, our ancestors planted them on dry, stony hillsides and terraces, often in groups of fives, but it is common practice nowadays to plant them like a fruit orchard in long, regular lines, or even isolated in the middle of a lawn. What the olive hates most is to have its roots in stagnant water, so as long as the ground is well drained any scheme is possible.