Fort Lauderdale debate: Should black olive trees on Las Olas stay or go? Experts weigh in
FORT LAUDERDALE — The famous black olive trees that line Las Olas look just fine to the untrained eye.
But are they?
The notion of doing away with the tree-lined median to make way for a multimillion-dollar makeover of the city’s most popular boulevard has sparked intense debate.
The trees, planted more than five decades ago, should be left alone, traditionalists say. On the other side of the aisle, those pushing for their removal have questioned the health of the trees, implying they are diseased and fated to die soon anyway.
But are the black olives truly sick?
No, according to a recent health report conducted by Fort Lauderdale’s very own urban forester.
The 41-page report, completed by Laura Tooley in January, gives a detailed breakdown on the health of each tree.
The trees are not diseased, according to her report. But they’re not in the best shape either.
Many of the black olive trees have shown a lack of vigor during the past seven years, Tooley’s report says.
Eight trees have grown less than an inch in diameter since 2017.
Two were removed, one in 2019 and another in 2021, due to dieback of the canopy. A third was removed in January after a decline that began in October.
Today, only 15 remain.
“It is highly likely that this stagnation in growth will result in continued decline and loss of trees in the coming decade,” Tooley wrote. “The black olive trees in the Las Olas Shops area are surviving, not thriving. It is expected that most of these trees will decline and require removal within the next 10 years.”
A question of time
Most of the black olive trees were planted in above-ground planters, shortening their life expectancy.
“This strategy was successful for approximately 50 years but is not a sustainable option due to restricted root structures,” Tooley says in her report. “The stunted growth has resulted in trees with root systems which do not have sufficient capacity to support future vibrant growth of the black olive trees.”
A dramatic redesign years in the making calls for removal of the tree-lined median to make way for wider sidewalks along with new trees planted on both sides of the street. Some have suggested the city plant mature oak trees, but a final decision has yet to be made.
When the black olive trees were planted 54 years ago, the local landscape industry mistakenly thought they were native to South Florida, Tooley told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“They are not native,” Tooley said. “The city’s street tree inventory from that time also suggests that size could be controlled by planting them in raised planters — essentially acknowledging that sufficient space could be a problem in the future.” Tooley said.
Some people are under the impression black olive trees can live hundreds of years. But that is true of olive trees, not black olive trees, Tooley said.
And there’s a difference.
No room to grow
“Despite the similarity in common names, black olive trees are not related to the true olive trees, which are known to survive more than 1,000 years in their native arid lands,” Tooley said. “In a completely frost-free environment without any risk of natural disasters, a black olive tree living over 100 years would be considered exceptional.”
Vice Mayor Steve Glassman mentioned Tooley’s report during a recent commission meeting.
“My impression is that these trees are not in good shape and that they’re not going to make it past 10 years,” Glassman told the Sun Sentinel. “You have to factor that in (when making a decision). I just want to make sure everyone is dealing with the facts. That’s important.”
Arborist Tom Chancey, a longtime Fort Lauderdale resident, has kept a close eye on the trees.
“We didn’t expect them to get so enormous,” he said. “But their root system is somewhat limited for them to grow in a place like that. And they need light, specific pruning. The bigger the tree gets, the more the root system wants to move out. In a planter box they can’t go anywhere.”
Chancey thinks the black olives still have some life in them.
“They can live a long time,” he said. “It depends on where they are. And that’s true of all trees. If they’re in nature, they can live a long time. But when you restrict them in a pot, that can limit their growth and their life span. On Las Olas, they’re stuck in a location that limits where the roots can go.”
Too far gone?
Rose Bechard Butman, an arborist and member of the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club, reviewed Tooley’s report at the request of the Sun Sentinel.
Her biggest takeaway: Some of the black olives are missing bark along their trunks, likely due to vehicle strikes. Some have rot. Others have not been pruned properly.
“Once the tree is wounded, it’s not going to heal,” Butman said. “Urban trees just don’t live as long. Could they live another 10 years or so? Probably.”
The trees are still growing a half inch or an inch per year in diameter, Butman noted.
“But unfortunately, they are not in really good shape,” she said. “They’re not sick. They’re in fair condition. But they’re not in prime condition. The good thing about the black olives is they are salt-tolerant. But it’s a tough situation for them to be in an urban environment with the root system limited.”
Tooley’s report shows closeup photographs of each tree.
“The trees are in worse condition than I realized when I see some of these pictures,” Butman said. “I think they’re too far gone (to be saved). Have they outlived their potential at this point? Does it make sense to take them all out at once? Probably.”
Butman, a lifelong tree advocate, spoke those words with a heavy heart.
“I hate to see the big trees go,” she said. “But these trees are not in great shape. And they’re only going to decline at this point. It’s going to be sad to lose them. There will be controversy when they take them out. It’s hard because people are sick and tired of seeing the big trees go. But there are some instances where it does make sense.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan