Olive tree

The tree of peace and thousand-year harvests

The olive tree lives a very long time — some are 3,000 years old and still bear fruit! An olive branch is a symbol of peace; Olympic winners were crowned with olive wreaths. Olive oil is made from its fruit. The tree is gnarled, and its silvery leaves shimmer in the wind.

The olive (Olea europaea) is the key tree of Mediterranean civilisations, cultivated for 6,000 years. Drought-tolerant and happy in stony soil, it lives 2,000–3,000 years: the Vouves olive on Crete is over 3,000 years old and still fruits. Even when the trunk rots hollow, the tree regrows from its roots. There are 1 billion olive trees in the world, 90% around the Mediterranean; Spain is the leader. The olive branch has symbolised peace since ancient Greece and appears on the UN flag. Olive plantations are now being established in southern Uzbekistan (Surkhandarya) too.

Fun facts

• One olive tree on Crete is 3,000 years old — and still bears fruit.
• There are a billion olive trees in the world — one for every 8 people.
• The wreath on the UN flag is made of olive branches.