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average size

"How big do olive trees get?"

Left to themselves, olive trees will become very large; old, unpruned trees can easily reach upwards of 30 feet. But olives are not difficult to keep to a more manageable size with pruning and cultural management. The height of trees in a medium-high-density orchard (approximately 200 to 300 trees/acre) is usually from 9 to 15 feet, with 10 to 12 feet being the most common height in California. Super-high-density orchards are topped at about 9 feet to facilitate over-the-row harvest. Some varieties are naturally more vigorous than others. Arbequina, the dominant variety in super-high-density production, is a particularly low vigor variety, making it suitable for locations where a smaller size is desirable.