OLIVE / Olea Europaea 'Paragon'

Frantoio Olive

Botanical Name: OLIVE / Olea europaea 'Paragon'
Family: Oleaceae
Origin: Mediterranean
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub (can be kept shrub-sized/hedged by clipping)

Overview

A premium oil olive that thrives in Adelaide and South Australian conditions. ‘Paragon’ (a Tuscan-type selection) carries elegant silvery, olive-green foliage and forms a neat, easily shaped canopy. Expect reliable flowering in late spring and high-quality oil fruit ripening through late summer–autumn—perfect for productive hedges, feature trees and Mediterranean-style plantings.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 4–7 m H × 3–6 m W unpruned; maintainable at 2–3 m with regular clipping
• Growth Rate: 20-40 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Narrow grey-green leaves with silvery undersides; fresh pale-green new growth; may show soft olive/bronze tints in heat or cold snaps
• Flowers: Small, creamy-white sprays in late spring (wind-pollinated)
  
• Fruit: Small–medium olives for excellent oil yield, colouring green → purple-black late summer–autumn in SA; self-fertile, but heavier crops with a partner (e.g., ‘Frantoio’, ‘Manzanillo’, ‘Kalamata’) nearby
• Seasonal Interest: Year-round silver foliage and sculptural branching; spring bloom; autumn harvest; attractive bark/winter silhouette
• Wildlife Value: Light incidental insect interest on flowers; birds may take fruit (use netting if protecting crops)
• Tolerance: Drought-Tolerant (once established), Heat-Tolerant, Coastal-Tolerant (salt & wind), Wind-Tolerant, Frost hardy once established; Clay-Tolerant if well-drained
• Planting Density: Hedge/row: 1–1.5 m apart (clipped). Specimen/avenue: 3–5 m apart
• Pet Friendly: Generally non-toxic; keep pets away from olive pits (choking/GI hazard)

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hrs/day) for compact growth and fruiting
• Soil: Well-drained loam, sandy loam or improved clay
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 2–3 weeks in summer (weekly in heatwaves); rarely in winter if dry
• Maintenance: Prune after harvest or late winter to shape/open canopy; light summer tip-prune if hedging. Feed in early spring; add dolomite/lime if soil is very acidic
• Lifespan: 50-100+ years
• Climate Zones: Suited to temperate & Mediterranean SA, including coastal Adelaide
• Soil pH: Acid, Neutral, Alkaline (best neutral → mildly alkaline)

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Productive hedge/driveway row—clip to 2–3 m for a narrow, silver screen with autumn olives
• Feature tree in lawns/courtyards—uplight trunk and underplant with rosemary/lavender for a Tuscan feel in Adelaide
• Mediterranean grove on hot, dry sites—low-water statement planting that thrives in SA summers

Why You Will Love It

‘Paragon’ delivers year-round silver beauty plus high-quality oil fruit in a tree that loves South Australia’s warm, dry climate. It’s water-wise, long-lived and versatile—ideal for Adelaide gardens wanting both style and substance from a single, hard-working olive.