Olive Trees

Olive Trees: Since I brought up the subject of olives two days ago, I thought I’d show you some real olive trees. Olive trees are Mediterranean natives, but are grown in the United States in California, Arizona, and parts of Texas where the climate is mild and the air is dry. Olive trees cannot tolerate cold winters or high humidity. They are also shallow rooted, so they will not do well in windy areas. There is a local company that produces a very high quality olive oil. While the trees in my photo are providing much needed shade in a central Phoenix neighborhood, olive trees are farmed in areas near Phoenix. In fact, I cook with a particularly good olive oil from the Queen Creek Olive Mill just south of Phoenix.