I think it is an olive! Someone extending you an olive branch as a peace offering perhaps.

Wow, that's fantastic, thank you. It's a Mother's Day gift from my nephews! :) Will it keep ok as a houseplant? I'm in z5 NY. I'll need to do some research on this.....

Olives don’t make good houseplants, sadly. Do you have any outside space? If so it might survive if you can keep it outdoors all the time temps are above freezing.

floral, I'd need to keep it potted -- I could take it outdoors in late May and can usually leave potted things out until mid October because they're somewhat protected on my porches.

I didn't mean to imply it should be in the ground. Just that it should be kept outdoors as long as possible each year. They grow fine in containers but they don't make happy house plants.

Thanks, floral. Any plant that needs lots of sun and warmth is at a definite disadvantage given my location. It’s the thought that counts. :)

that is getting to be a pretty large plant in a small pot ... be very careful about putting it in full sun outside ..

its not whether the plant can tolerate sun.. its whether the pot can hold enough moisture for the day in sun ... there are simple ways around it ...

if it were mine.. i would get it out of the bag.. make sure its not wrapped in plastic inside the bag ... do note.. the burlap isnt wet ....

also consider.. ALL florist plants are sold as disposable plants ... if you want to convert them to long lived plants.. you need to repot it in proper media for this plant .. in a proper pot.. etc ...

often the media florists use is very soggy ... and that might not be what this plant needs.. long term ... and if this is an olive TREE .. it will not appreciate being soggy all the time .. and to be clear.. i am not doubting those who made the ID ....

ken

yup, I needed wire cutters to get into it. lol!

I keep mine outdoors in summer and in the cool garage in winter. Does great! But it has never bloomed.

Surprised that it didn’t come with the plant name and care instructions.... what a fun gift though!!!

From 1800. Website. no mention of sunlight? Watering?

A unique choice for expressing a very special sentiment, the olive tree is a symbol of abundance, peace, and friendship. Our easy-to-grow patio tree will flourish indoors or out.

• Low maintenance
• May be placed indoors or outdoors
• Arrives in a 100% natural jute bag with a hand-tied ribbon
• At maturity and with proper care, tree will bear fruit
• Large tree measures approx. 38-44" and will grow to a maximum of 25 feet
• Medium tree measures approx. 18-24" and will grow to a maximum of 25 feet
• Olive trees can not be shipped to Arizona due to agricultural restrictions

The suggestion in that info. that it’s equally easy indoors or out is misleading. It can be grown inside but it’s a struggle if you don’t have a cool, very bright spot for it like a conservatory. It’s far better grown outside as long as possible. Olives grow quite happily in much of the UK, which isn't renowned for heat and bright sun, although they rarely fruit. I’m pretty sure you get hotter, sunnier summers than we do.

Thanks for posting their info, @Mamaham_NC_Zone7! There was absolutely no identifying or care information in the box and I didn't go to the website because I didn't want to see the price. :)

floral, our summer weather can be just about anything. I will say that in the summer of 2016 we had the most perfect weather ever. It was warm and sunny, without ever being too hot. And it would rain at exactly the right times, and right amounts, so that I don't think I ever had to water the gardens, and I was able to play golf almost any day. The flower gardens were gorgeous and the vegetable gardens were loaded with bounty. Just perfect. lol! Some summers it will be cold, dark, and raining all the time... and some summers it will be hot, sunny, and we'll experience a drought. Last year was a hot dry one. But back to the olive tree... I'm thinking I could keep it on my unheated back porch from Oct - May. It has a south window and is a bright little porch -- it's currently loaded with gladiola bulbs and dahlia tubers (in storage), and potted annual geraniums that have been there and blooming all winter. Winter temps in that porch are generally 50F-40F or colder. If it gets extremely cold outside the temp in the room will drop just below freezing, so I bring things into the house for a few days until it warms again. Does that sound like a good place for the olive? and if it were to drop to the upper 20s in that room, should the olive stay? I read something about an olive tree wanting two months below 50F....