Olive understory

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Hi All,

This question is directed mostly to members living near the Mediterranean Sea.

About a year ago I asked what did well under Olive trees, and had some helpful responses, but I'm still in a quandary.

I have a side yard planted with six olive trees and an adjacent small live oak and a few melaleucas.  Initially the understory was a successful combination of Cistus ladanifer and Lavandula stoechas 'Otto Quast', but as the olives' shade increased, the shrubs declined.  I've been experimenting, with fragaria, iris, nerine, arctostaphylos, carpenteria, ceanothus, but none of the subjects have really taken with enthusiasm.  Most are living, but none are luxuriating.  The trees are at that adolescent stage, not quite shade-giving canopies, but more than large shrubs.  This year's experiments include Salvia 'Mrs. Beard' and Salvia spathacea.

It's been years and years since I visited the Mediterranean, so here is my question to you: what NATURALLY grows in an olive woods?  Is the ground bare? Is there a dense under-story of shrubs? Or is it low herbaceous ground-covers?  Knowing what occurs in nature would better help me choose plants in my garden.

Thanks for your help.

-Ben Artmentrout-Wiswall

Simi Valley, inland Ventura County

Southern California

(Probably more like Tripoli than Nice)