>Also, are Black Olive trees native to the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area?

Some people say they are native to the upper Keys, but this is much debated.

Thanks for the reply. I also did read somewhere that Black Olives are native to the upper Keys, but because there are so many in the South Florida metro areas, I
thought maybe that was also part of their native range.

i say go for it! we have a sausage tree, paradise tree(now multiple trunks from a freeze), and a few others that we try to get going here. fun trying, but never expect to see the growth you see in s. fla.

The previous owner of my house planted 2 Black Olives(around 5 years ago). They are 2 of several tree species he planted on property that are not typically for our zone but seem to be doing OK. One BO is at least 20 ft tall and planted only about 8 ft away from the house. We have been trimming it to try to contain it, but we most likely will have to remove it. The other is bigger and very nice specimen but our first spring (last year) we did have an issue with the caterpillars and treated with BT, only after we recognized the issue once the caterpillars "bungied" onto our near-by rose bushes and desiccated them. We didn't have the gall problem, but the caterpillar's frass was messy and staining the driveway. The tree next to the house never got the caterpillars which was a surprise since it is more stressed than the other.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Olive and common pest