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Olive trees love Sacramento. Silvery leaves, gnarled multi-trunk forms, and a tolerance for heat and dry summers have made them a favorite in front yards, courtyards, HOA common areas, and commercial landscapes. But fruiting olives drop thousands of small fruit that stain patios and driveways, their pollen is a misery for some people, and a big, old multi-trunk olive can outgrow a small yard. This guide covers what UC sources say about olives, alternatives to removal, when removal makes sense, the permit rules around Sacramento, and what removal typically costs.
The olive (Olea europaea) is a Mediterranean tree. A UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County – Ask a Master Gardener: olive trees column says the Sacramento Valley has an ideal climate for olives, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, and that olives are long-lived — it gives an average lifespan of 500 years — often looking more interesting as they age. It adds that olives need well-draining soil and that our clay soils can be a challenge, that they're drought-tolerant once established, and that mature trees are generally hardy to about 20°F.
UC IPM – Olive describes olives as mostly evergreen trees growing 25 to 30 feet tall, often as multi-trunk specimens, with dwarf forms to about 12 feet. It says they do best in full sun, prefer little water once established, and are not tolerant of saturated soils or lawn conditions. Fruitless types are available; UC notes 'Swan Hill' produces little fruit and pollen.
Fruitless or fruiting? It matters. A fruitless olive that's healthy and in the right place rarely needs to come out. A fruiting olive over a patio, pool, or driveway is the one most homeowners call about.
One more to watch: the Sacramento Tree Foundation – Emerald ash borer is on the West Coast post lists olives among the vulnerable species common in the Sacramento region, alongside several ashes and fringe trees, after emerald ash borer was found near Portland, Oregon in 2022. See ash tree removal for more.
If fruit is the problem, removal isn't the only option. For olives grown only as ornamentals, UC IPM's olive fruit fly pest note says you can prevent fruit formation with a plant growth regulator applied thoroughly to the flowers during bloom, or with high-pressure water sprays during bloom. Timing is critical, and any fruit that still develops should be removed and destroyed. UC notes the growth regulator makes the flowers drop so no fruit is produced that year, so treatment has to be repeated each spring — something to weigh against a one-time removal and a fruitless replacement.
For olive knot, UC IPM recommends removing galls during the dry summer months rather than during the rainy season and sterilizing tools with a 10% bleach solution. The Yolo column recommends pruning olives in late winter to early spring, removing suckers from the roots, dead branches, and interior branches to improve air circulation. Pruning can also raise the canopy or reduce a tree's spread. See when to trim trees and tree trimming cost.
Still deciding? See tree removal vs. trimming: how to decide.
UC IPM notes that olives are sometimes considered invasive weeds. The Cal-IPC – Olea europaea profile gives olive its "Limited" rating — invasive, but with minor ecological impacts statewide — and says that although it's commonly grown as a crop in California, it has escaped and naturalized in southern California and the Central Valley, where it can invade grasslands and shrublands. Cal-IPC advises gardeners to use caution planting olives near open space and to consider seedless varieties. If you're replacing a fruiting olive near the American River Parkway or another natural area, a fruitless variety or a different species is the safer choice.
Many olives in the region are in HOA common areas, parking lots, and commercial landscapes, where different rules apply than in a single-family back yard. In unincorporated Sacramento County, permits cover certain landscaping trees in parking lots and commercial, apartment, or HOA common areas (Sacramento County Tree Permits). In Davis, a "tree of significance" is any tree 5 inches or more in diameter on property used for commercial, multi-family housing, or residential care facilities, or in publicly accessible common space controlled by a homeowners' association. HOA common-area trees are usually the association's call; see HOA tree removal. An olive in the park strip may be a City street tree; see street trees: who's responsible.
Olive isn't a native species, and most landscape olives are below the size thresholds in local codes — but big multi-trunk olives can surprise you:
Other areas: City of Sacramento · unincorporated Sacramento County · Elk Grove · Roseville · Folsom · Citrus Heights · Rancho Cordova · West Sacramento · Davis. Measure the trunk at 4.5 feet (circumference ÷ 3.14) before you call.
We didn't find a reliable published price specific to olives, so the best guide is height. Most landscape olives fall in the first row of these national published ranges (estimates, not quotes); Sacramento-area labor often runs above national averages:
| Height | Angi | HomeGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 ft | $150–$450 | $200–$500 |
| 30–60 ft | $450–$1,200 | $500–$1,500 |
| 60–80 ft | $800–$1,500 | $850–$2,000 |
| Over 80 ft | $1,000–$2,000 | $1,200–$2,500+ |
Angi puts the national average around $750, and HomeGuide lists an $850 average, but a typical 25- to 30-foot olive usually falls in the under-30-feet row. A heavy, multi-trunk olive in a walled courtyard with no equipment access can cost more; Angi says hard-to-reach or unsafe locations often add 25%–50%. Olives are often planted in rows or groups, and HomeGuide says per-tree costs can drop 10% to 25% when several trees are removed in one visit. Add-ons often priced separately include stump removal (Angi: around $100–$150 for the first stump and around $50 for each additional), cleanup and haul-off (about $70–$95), and a permit where required (around $60–$150). See tree removal cost by tree size and tree removal cost in Sacramento.
Olives come back. Cal-IPC's Cal-IPC – Olea europaea plant assessment form answers "yes" to whether olive "resprouts readily when cut, grazed, or burned," and the Yolo Master Gardener column advises removing suckers that come up from the roots. If you're removing an olive for good, plan on grinding the stump and major surface roots and cutting any sprouts that appear afterward. Ask each bidder how deep they'll grind. Stump grinding requires an 811 ticket before digging. See stump grinding cost.
Tree removal and most pruning of trees 15 feet or taller generally requires a CSLB license under Business and Professions Code § 7026.1 (C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor). If the tree has olive knot and you have other olives, ask the crew to disinfect their tools before working on them (UC suggests a 10% bleach solution). If you're removing it in fruit season, ask them to clean up fallen fruit; UC Master Gardeners recommend removing fallen fruit to reduce olive fruit fly infestations. In spring and summer, ask the crew to check for active nests first (Fish and Game Code § 3503). See how to hire a tree service and how to prepare for removal day. If you're replanting, the Sacramento Tree Foundation offers free siting consultations and up to 10 free shade trees to eligible properties through its SMUD partnership (Sacramento Tree Foundation – Growing a resilient urban forest). Other species guides: black walnut, cedar, oak, pine, redwood, eucalyptus, sycamore, cottonwood, sweetgum, ash, elm, fruitless mulberry, and ornamental pear.
Often, yes. For olives grown only as ornamentals, UC IPM says you can prevent fruit formation with a plant growth regulator applied thoroughly to the flowers during bloom, or with high-pressure water sprays during bloom, and that timing is critical. Any fruit that still develops should be removed and destroyed.
They can be. UC IPM says olive pollen is highly allergenic. It also notes that fruitless varieties such as 'Swan Hill' produce less pollen than fruiting varieties, which is why they're preferred for ornamental plantings. If allergies are the main reason you're considering removal, ask your doctor and an arborist about options.
Likely olive knot, a bacterial disease. UC IPM says it forms galls or "knots" on twigs and stems, spreads in winter and spring rain, and can girdle and kill affected twigs. It recommends cutting galls out during the dry summer months, not during the rainy season, and sterilizing tools with a 10% bleach solution. Because it's managed by pruning out galls, olive knot alone isn't necessarily a reason to remove a tree.
It can. Cal-IPC's assessment of olive notes that it resprouts readily when cut, and UC Master Gardeners in Yolo County advise removing suckers that come up from the roots on living trees. To keep a removed olive from coming back, grind the stump and major roots and cut off any sprouts that appear afterward.
We didn't find a reliable published price specific to olives, so height is the best guide. Most landscape olives are 25 to 30 feet or smaller, which national published ranges (Angi and HomeGuide) put at about $150–$500 under 30 feet. A large, multi-trunk heritage olive, tight access, stump grinding, and haul-off can add to the price, and several trees in one visit can lower the per-tree cost.
We don't do tree work ourselves. Tell us about your tree and we'll connect you with independent local tree professionals so you can compare written quotes. Always verify the contractor's license and insurance at cslb.ca.gov.
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More guides: Stump grinding cost · Emergency/storm removal · Tree trimming cost · Palm tree removal · Tree permits · Tree fell on house: insurance · Neighbor & boundary trees · Oak tree removal · Dead/hazardous trees · Trees near power lines · Roots, sewers & foundations · Elk Grove permits · Roseville permits · Folsom permits · Citrus Heights permits · Rancho Cordova permits · Sacramento County permits · Davis permits · West Sacramento permits · Hiring a tree service · After a storm · Pine tree removal · When to trim · Defensible space · Landlords, tenants & HOAs · Trees & solar panels · Remove or trim? · Preparing for removal day · Eucalyptus removal · Crane removal cost · Tree removal in an HOA · Arborist reports for permits · Street trees: who's responsible · Sycamore removal · Sweetgum removal · Ash tree removal · Elm tree removal · Fruitless mulberry removal · Leaning trees · Removal cost by tree size · Redwood removal · Cottonwood removal · Ornamental pear removal · Black walnut removal · Cedar removal · Olive removal