Mission Olive Tree

As Franciscan priests came to California and established Missions they also brought with them olives, thus the coming out of the Mission Olive. A Franciscan missionary planted the first olive tree in California in 1769 at a Franciscan mission in San Diego, brought there from San Blas, Mexico, in 1769, and planted at Mission San Diego by Junipero Serra and by Don Jose de Balves After that olive trees were planted throughout Southern California but most of the older groves are now present mainly in Northern California.

Through the years, olive trees have been planted in this state in waves as interests in olives and its oil peaked. Olive groves in Fremont flourished with the establishment of Mission San Jose. It has also been intertwined with the history of the wineries. Olive trees were grown on the estates of Palmdale, Linda Vista and Weibel. In 1908, olive oil was crushed on the Linda Vista estates in Mission San Jose much after the McIver Wineries had closed on the same property.

The most cold hardy olive, Mission olive trees survive to 8 degrees. A tall upright tree reaching 40 feet, the fruit matures late in October and into November. Mission Olives are used mainly for pickling and for oil due to their high oil content (21.8%). When used for oil harvest from mid-December to January

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