‘Shady Lady’

LIGHT

Black olive trees NEED 6+ hours of unobstructed direct light everyday, MINIMUM. They will do better at 8-10+ hours of direct light, which helps them maintain a fuller flush of foliage. Indoors, direct light means that the rays of sun are coming through the window and touching the foliage. To be considered full sun, the light should reach all of the foliage, not just a portion of it. If an area of the tree is not getting enough light, these plants will often begin to drop those leaves. As an example, if the tree is in front of a window that is 3 ft off of the floor, but the plant has leaves beneath that window, the plant may drop those lower leaves as they are not able to produce energy for the plant.

This is usually the most difficult aspect of caring for Bucida buceras indoors, as most homes and offices do not meet the light requirement of these plants. For reference, a common analogy in the indoor plant space is that full sun indoors is like moderate shade outdoors. This is for many reasons, but most commonly because many windows are partially obstructed, whether it be by an overhang, a tree, or even a neighboring building; additionally, many modern windows are treated with UV coatings to protect wood and furniture, so it blocks a lot of the UV that plants would use to create energy. 

To relate that to the B. buceras, they are considered full to part sun plants outside. By bringing them inside, we reduce the available light from full or part sun to “shade”, and it can be challenging for the plant to acclimate and sustain itself. 

Supplemental light can also be used to increase light, but should not be fully relied on with this particular plant. It is difficult to light a large tree evenly with supplemental lights, but they are a great addition for a plant that is getting full, direct indoor light, that may have a hard time keeping some areas flushed out. 

WATER

Bucida buceras are endemic to Mexico, the Caribbean, and other parts of Central America, residing in warm coastal swamps. Knowing where a plant is from and what their native environmental conditions are can help inform the watering requirements of this plant in indoor spaces. These trees prefer to be moist at all times, and we recommend watering when the soil feels dry to the touch on top. Water deeply, ensuring the entire root system is saturated. If it is in a large pot, as they often are due to their aggressive root systems, it may require multiple gallons of water to fully saturate it. It is important that the entire root system is watered evenly, as inconsistent watering can cause undue stress to the plant. 

Shady Lady trees grow slowly in the late fall and winter, so the soil may take longer to dry between waterings in cold months. However, they will still require the same volume of water when being watered–it just may be a little more spaced out. Make sure that you are checking the soil frequently, as they do not do well when underwatered. Inconsistent watering is one of the easiest ways to cause these plants to drop their foliage. 

FERTILIZER 

Bucida buceras are moderate to heavy feeders, and will enjoy regular fertilization. Diluted liquid fertilizer can be applied with every watering, or slow release can be added to the soil to give it a feed every time you water. Just make sure to always dilute according to the fertilizer’s recommended dose to avoid fertilizer burn. As mentioned above, B. buceras does slow it’s growth in the winter months, and may not need feed every watering. However, if your black olive tree is actively growing over the winter, you can continue to feed it. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• As alluded to in the intro, black olive trees can be a bit…dramatic, when kept indoors. Anytime these plants move locations, particularly from ideal conditions to less ideal conditions, they almost always drop all their leaves (aka, defoliate). This is normal. As long as the plant is getting adequate light and care, the plant should refoliate quickly upon settling in. Unfortunately, it may look dead until it acclimates. A good test to check and see if it is still viable is to try to bend the branches, starting with the thin, outermost branches and working in. If they are dry and brittle, then that part of the tree has died back. If there is bend to the branch, it is usually on the way to regrowing its foliage. 

• Due to their massive root systems, black olives can outgrow containers often. They should be checked yearly to assess if the plant needs a larger container. A good sign it is time to check the roots is if the plant is drying out more quickly than normal. If this occurs, take a look at the root system and see if the roots have filled out the pot. If so, you will want to find a container one to two sizes larger than the current container to repot into. 

• Olive trees typically have a limited lifespan of about 9-12 years if kept indoors year-round. This is largely because they do not typically have optimal conditions indoors. Moving Bucida buceras outdoors in the summertime can be a great option to prolong their life span and promote stronger overall growth (see our website or call the greenhouse for instructions on transitioning a plant from indoors to out). If moved outside, the plant will likely drink water more quickly, so watering frequency will typically need to increase. Be sure to check the soil often when putting them outdoors. It is important to know these trees are not frost hardy, so make sure to move them inside before temperatures drop below 40°F. They will likely defoliate and refoliate during these transitions, which is, again, normal. 

*Bucida buceras is considered an expert level plant, as it has extremely specific needs and can react poorly to slight deviances in environment or care.

Due to these challenges, WE NO LONGER ACCEPT RETURNS of Bucida buceras at this time. Please purchase at your own discretion.*