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For growers

Where can I grow olive?

Olea europaea · Fruit · Perennial

Olive is a great fit (80+) on 15.8 million km² (6.1 million sq mi) of land in 64 countries, 35% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, Buenos Aires, Argentina and California, United States. Where it can't grow, it's usually winters get too cold (47%) and not enough winter chill (46%).

Crop fit≤5075100Uncolored land: won't grow

Tap the map for the score at any spot. Each square is a 28 km (17 mile) grid cell.

Great fit (80+)
15.8M km²(6.1M sq mi)
11% of land
Worth a try (50–79)
6.5M km²(2.5M sq mi)
4% of land
Great fit without irrigation
9.8M km²(3.8M sq mi)
Rain alone is enough
Countries
64
With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

  1. 1

    🇺🇸Texas, United States

    Great fit on 319k km² (123k sq mi) · worth a try on 90k km² (35k sq mi)

    For example San Antonio (100), Austin (100)

  2. 2

    🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Great fit on 304k km² (117k sq mi) · worth a try on 600 km² (200 sq mi)

    For example Bahía Blanca (100), Trenque Lauquen (100)

  3. 3

    🇺🇸California, United States

    Great fit on 196k km² (76k sq mi) · worth a try on 28k km² (11k sq mi)

    For example Sacramento (100), Elk Grove (100)

  4. 4

    🇨🇳Hunan, China

    Great fit on 173k km² (67k sq mi) · worth a try on 9,600 km² (3,700 sq mi)

    For example Yueyang (93), Shenliu (93)

  5. 5

    🇨🇳Sichuan, China

    Great fit on 155k km² (60k sq mi) · worth a try on 15k km² (6,000 sq mi)

    For example Guangyuan (100), Pu’an (100)

  6. 6

    🇨🇳Guizhou, China

    Great fit on 144k km² (56k sq mi) · worth a try on 17k km² (6,400 sq mi)

    For example Zunyi (98), Loushanguan (98)

  7. 7

    🇦🇷Cordoba, Argentina

    Great fit on 135k km² (52k sq mi) · worth a try on 1,300 km² (500 sq mi)

    For example Córdoba (100), Río Cuarto (100)

  8. 8

    🇦🇺New South Wales, Australia

    Great fit on 135k km² (52k sq mi) · worth a try on 48k km² (18k sq mi)

    For example Tamworth (100), Dubbo (100)

  9. 9

    🇺🇸Georgia, United States

    Great fit on 126k km² (49k sq mi) · worth a try on 22k km² (8,700 sq mi)

    For example Augusta (93), Martinez (93)

  10. 10

    🇦🇷Santa Fe, Argentina

    Great fit on 97k km² (37k sq mi) · worth a try on 7,400 km² (2,900 sq mi)

    For example Sunchales (100), Rufino (100)

  11. 11

    🇲🇽Coahuila, Mexico

    Great fit on 96k km² (37k sq mi) · worth a try on 1,400 km² (500 sq mi)

    For example Ciudad Melchor Múzquiz (100), Nava (100)

  12. 12

    🇿🇦Eastern Cape, South Africa

    Great fit on 96k km² (37k sq mi) · worth a try on 28k km² (11k sq mi)

    For example Aliwal North (100), Graaff Reinet (100)

  13. 13

    🇪🇸Andalusia, Spain

    Great fit on 93k km² (36k sq mi) · worth a try on 7,400 km² (2,900 sq mi)

    For example Sevilla (100), Córdoba (100)

  14. 14

    🇿🇦Western Cape, South Africa

    Great fit on 88k km² (34k sq mi) · worth a try on 14k km² (5,200 sq mi)

    For example Ceres (100), Montagu (100)

  15. 15

    🇦🇺Victoria, Australia

    Great fit on 87k km² (34k sq mi) · worth a try on 34k km² (13k sq mi)

    For example Wodonga (100), Shepparton (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

  • 🇨🇳China1.0M km² (388k sq mi) · 18% of its land
  • 🇦🇷Argentina983k km² (380k sq mi) · 63% of its land
  • 🇺🇸United States919k km² (355k sq mi) · 17% of its land
  • 🇿🇦South Africa550k km² (213k sq mi) · 64% of its land
  • 🇲🇽Mexico546k km² (211k sq mi) · 34% of its land
  • 🇦🇺Australia365k km² (141k sq mi) · 45% of its land
  • 🇪🇸Spain354k km² (137k sq mi) · 63% of its land
  • 🇩🇿Algeria307k km² (118k sq mi) · 52% of its land
  • 🇮🇷Iran272k km² (105k sq mi) · 19% of its land
  • 🇮🇹Italy271k km² (104k sq mi) · 69% of its land

Best-suited towns

  1. 100%fit

    Catania

    🇮🇹 Sicily, Italy

  2. 100%fit

    Bari

    🇮🇹 Apulia, Italy

  3. 100%fit

    Barcelona

    🇪🇸 Catalonia, Spain

  4. 100%fit

    Constantine

    🇩🇿 Algeria

  5. 100%fit

    Fes

    🇲🇦 Fes-Meknes, Morocco

  6. 100%fit

    Marseille

    🇫🇷 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

  7. 100%fit

    Córdoba

    🇪🇸 Andalusia, Spain

  8. 100%fit

    Denizli

    🇹🇷 Turkey

  9. 100%fit

    Küçükçekmece

    🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey

  10. 100%fit

    Bağcılar

    🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey

  11. 100%fit

    Konak

    🇹🇷 İzmir Province, Turkey

  12. 100%fit

    Meknes

    🇲🇦 Fes-Meknes, Morocco

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region.

What olive needs

Coldest night of the year (average)
Ideal at least 18°F (-8°C)Won't grow below 10°F (-12°C)
Chill hours (9 winters in 10)
Ideal at least 300 hoursWon't grow below 100 hours
Warmest-month average
Ideal 73–86°F (23–30°C)Won't grow below 66°F (19°C) or above 93°F (34°C)
Degree days above 50°F (10°C)
Ideal at least 3,240 °F·days (1,800 °C·days)Won't grow below 2,340 °F·days (1,300 °C·days)
Yearly rain
Ideal 16–35 in (400–900 mm)Won't grow below 7.9 in (200 mm) or above 63 in (1,600 mm)

Needs a mild winter chill to flower well, and long warm summers to ripen. Humid summers bring olive knot and peacock spot.

Sources: Connor & Fereres 2005, The physiology of adaptation and yield expression in olive (Horticultural Reviews); FAO ECOCROP: Olea europaea. Ranges not yet reviewed by an agronomist.

What stops it elsewhere

  • Winters get too cold47%
  • Not enough winter chill46%
  • Summers too cool4%
  • Summers too hot3%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. Each square is scored with whichever variety fits it best. “With irrigation” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rain-fed only” counts them.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.

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