The olive tree is one of the most emblematic and ancient crops of the Iberian Peninsula., with a history dating back millennia that has shaped not only the landscape, but also the culture and economy. Spain leads the world ranking in both cultivated area and diversity of olive varieties, with hundreds of native types and adaptations made over generations.
How many varieties of olive trees exist in Spain?
Spain has the greatest diversity of olive varieties in the world., with approximately 600 catalogued varieties, although the exact number continues to grow as genetic identification techniques and professional cataloging advance. This varietal richness translates into an extraordinary variety of olive oils, flavors, aromas and culinary uses.
This diversity is due to the olive tree's adaptation to the diverse soil and climate conditions of the peninsula: from the dry, limestone soils of the south to the colder, wetter areas of the north.
Olive-growing areas and geographical distribution
Olive cultivation in Spain is distributed unevenly, but Andalusia is the region with the highest concentration of olive groves, especially in Jaén, Córdoba, Seville, Málaga, and Granada. Other relevant autonomous communities in terms of production and diversity are Estremadura, Castilla la Mancha, Valencian Community, Catalonia, Aragon, Navarra y Balearics.
- Andalucía: The varieties predominate Picual, Hojiblanca, Lechin, green y Sevillian chamomile.
- Castilla la Mancha: Mainly cornicabra and local varieties.
- Estremadura: , and .
- Valencia and Levante: and other native ones.
- Catalonia and Aragon: , , , among others.
La division by olive-growing areas It can spread across these ten areas, each with a predominance of certain varieties:
- Jaén, Granada North and Córdoba East Zone: Picual
- Córdoba, Antequera, Loja, Estepa: Hojiblanca, Picual, Carrasqueña, Weevil
- Huelva, Cadiz, Seville: Hojiblanca, Verdial de Huévar, Serrana Chamomile
- Almería, part of Granada and Málaga: Lechín from Granada, Verdial of Vélez-Málaga, Aloreña
- Extremadura, Ávila, Salamanca, Zamora: cacereña chamomile, Moorish, Verdial of Badajoz, cornicabra
- Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid: cornicabra
- I raised: Blanquette
- Ebro Valley: empeltre
- Tortosa – Castellón: forge, Morrut, Servillenca, empeltre
- Catalonia and the Balearic Islands: Arbequina
Main olive varieties in Spain
Of the numerous varieties of olive trees distributed throughout the Spanish territory, Some stand out for their commercial, agronomic and gastronomic importanceBelow we present the most representative ones, with their characteristics and agronomic performance.
Picual
Picual is the most cultivated olive variety in Spain and one of the most important worldwide. Its presence is particularly notable in Jaén, where it occupies almost the entire olive grove in the province, and extends to Córdoba, Granada, and other areas.
- Accept: High oleic acid content, balanced, bitter and fruity flavor, with high oxidative stability.
- Agronomic characteristics: High productivity, medium vigor, early ripening, easy fruit release, resistance to leaf rust and salinity, and adaptability to calcareous soils. Less resistant to cold and diseases such as tuberculosis and verticillium wilt.
- Usage: Mainly for oil, although it is also used for table olives in some areas.
Picual stands out for its rusticity and performance, although its cultivation in large monocultures can increase susceptibility to pests and decrease genetic biodiversity.
cornicabra
It extends mainly in Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid and parts of Extremadura, especially in the Montes de Toledo. Cornicabra is the second most cultivated variety in Spain.
- Accept: Great stability, high oleic acid content, intense flavor, and herbal and spicy notes. Highly prized for its organoleptic qualities.
- Features: It stands out for its resistance to cold, drought, and limestone. It has a high yield, although it comes into production and ripens later than Picual.
- Usage: Quality oil and table olives to a lesser extent.
Arbequina
Originally from Catalonia, it has spread rapidly throughout Spain, especially in modern, intensive and super-intensive hedge plantations.
- Accept: Highly prized for its mild, sweet, and fruity flavor, low bitterness, and almond and apple notes. Mostly used for gourmet and cold-pressed oils.
- Features: Low vigor, open growth habit, rapid entry into production, excellent resistance to drought, cold, and leaf spot, but sensitive to fruit flies and some calcareous soils. Recommended for high-density systems.
- Usage: Mainly oil, occasionally table olives.
Arbequina is key in the modernization of the Spanish olive grove due to its exceptional adaptation to super-intensive systems that allow mechanized harvests and high production.
Hojiblanca
Very abundant in Andalusia, especially in Córdoba, Málaga, Seville and Granada.
- Accept: Extraordinary quality, fruity flavor with sweet, bitter and spicy nuances, aroma of fresh grass and almonds.
- Features: Medium-high vigor, great hardiness, adaptability to calcareous soils, drought resistance, and good cold tolerance. It has alternate harvesting (vecería) and medium-sized, late-ripening fruits. It is self-fertile, and harvesting can be difficult due to the difficult fruit release.
- Usage: Oil and table olives (green olives).
cacereña chamomile
It is predominant in Extremadura (Cáceres and Badajoz) and areas of Salamanca, Ávila and Madrid.
- Accept: Highly appreciated, intense color, bitter, spicy and fruity flavor, high oleic acid content.
- Features: Low vigor, cold and drought resistance, high productivity, early production, good adaptability to sandy soils and acidic pH. Sensitive to tuberculosis and verticillium wilt.
- Usage: Table and oil olives.
Verdial of Badajoz
Traditional variety in Extremadura, also present in some areas of Andalusia.
- Accept: Fruity, high yield, good stability, accepted for oil and direct table consumption.
- Features: Very resistant to drought, moderately sensitive to cold, large fruit, medium to late ripening.
- Usage: Oil and seasoned olives ("mashed olives").
Blanquette
Native to the Valencian Community, adapted to the region's climate and soils.
- Accept: High quality, mild flavor, good stability, high fat production.
- Features: Highly resistant to cold, frost, drought, and calcareous soils. Medium-sized fruit with late ripening.
- Usage: Its main purpose is oil production.
Lechín from Seville and Granada
Relevant variety in Seville and Granada.
- Accept: Soft and sweet flavor, aroma of nuts.
- Features: Drought resistance, tolerates poor soils, easy to adapt to different conditions.
- Usage: Mainly for oil, with growing interest in new plantations.
empeltre
Traditional variety from the Ebro Valley (Aragon, La Rioja, Navarra and part of Catalonia).
- Accept: Sweet, smooth, very fruity and aromatic.
- Features: Adapted to poor soils, drought resistance. Medium-vigor tree with early production.
- Usage: Oil and also as a table olive.
Other notable varieties
- Arróniz: Native to Navarra, La Rioja and Álava, resistant to cold and drought, oils rich in polyphenols.
- Moorish: From Extremadura, it stands out for its rusticity and good oil yield.
- Farga: Traditional in Castellón, Tarragona, and Teruel; centuries-old olive trees and aromatic oils.
- Seville Chamomile: Table olive par excellence, with large fruit, also suitable for oil.
Varieties adapted to super-intensive crops and modern systems
Agricultural development has promoted new selections and crosses to achieve olive varieties better adapted to intensive and super-intensive systems, with better production, disease resistance and mechanized harvesting.
- Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki: They are the most widely used varieties in hedgerow olive groves (super-intensive), due to their low size, early production start and ease of mechanized harvesting.
- Sikitite: A recent cross between Picual and Arbequina, it has a small size, high yield, and aromatic oils. Ideal for hedge plantings.
- Oliana: A cross between Arbequina and Arbosana, it has a very low, bushy growth habit and does not require intensive pruning. It is excellent for high density plantings. It enters production early.
- Lecciana: A cross between Leccino and Arbosana, adapted to super-intensive systems, with suitable productive and vegetative parameters.
- Coriana: Cross between Koroneiki and Arbosana, adapted to high density, low vigor, and ripening at the same time as Arbequina.
- Sultana: A cross between Arbosana and Sikitita, it combines the best of Picual, Arbequina, and Arbosana. Very early ripening, with a large fruit size and suitable for hedges.
- Sikitita Two: Genetic development with low pruning requirements, very early ripening and high fat yield.
Factors for choosing the most suitable olive variety
Selecting the olive variety is a strategic decision, both for large farms and for home plantations. It is essential to assess:
- Climate and resistance: Some varieties tolerate cold better, others drought or salinity.
- Floor type: There are varieties that are better adapted to calcareous, acidic, stony or infertile soils.
- Diseases and pests: Resistance to leafhopper, verticillium, tuberculosis, leprosy, flies and aphids varies significantly.
- Principal Uso: Oil, table olives or dual use (mixed).
- Cultivation system: Traditional, intensive or super intensive in hedge.
- Productivity: Regularity of production, alternate bearing (alternating bearing), entry into production and ease of harvesting.
- Sensory characteristics: Flavor, aroma, stability and color of the oil or olive.
Denominations of Origin and heritage wealth
The variety of olive tree is closely linked to the multiple Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) recognized in Spain, which reflect the richness of the oils and olive-growing traditions of each area:
- Toledo Mountains
- Baix Ebre-Montsià
- Antequera
- Cordoba
- Sierra de Segura
- Bajo Aragon
- Terra Alta
- And many others that guarantee quality and geographical origin.
Yield, uses and comprehensive use of olive groves
The Spanish olive grove produces table olives and olive oil as star products, but their use is much broader. Only 20% of the olive is used to extract oil, while the remaining 80% is valued thanks to the pomace industry, which obtains pomace oil, biomass, compost and by-products for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
The olive tree also plays a fundamental environmental role in combating erosion, capturing CO2, preserving the landscape, and maintaining biodiversity in rural areas.
The olive tree is deeply rooted in Mediterranean culture and is one of the most appreciated and long-lived trees.Its genetic, agronomic, and gastronomic diversity reflects Spain's natural and cultural wealth, consolidating the country's leading role in the global production of olive oil and table olives.