Olea europaea a small tree grown for its fruit.
Olive trees, Olea europaea is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae. It is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and has been a major agricultural crop since ancient times.
Olive trees are evergreen trees or shrubs. In the wild it rarely exceeds 8-15 metres high. Leaves are oblong silvery-green, and the trunk is gnarled and twisted. Olive trees are very hardy, and generally resistant to drought, disease, and fire. They can grow to extreme age, with some claimants exceeding 2000 years in age. Definite examples include a specimen in the Algarve (dated with carbon dating) and one in Crete (dated with tree ring analysis). Other claimants include "Plato's Old Tree" (now in an Athens museum) and specimens in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
Olive trees are usually grown for their fruit (also known as olives) which is used to make olive oil. In fact, the word "oil" in a range of languages derives from the word for "olive". Olive trees are also grown for wood, leaves, and the fruit.
Olives appear in many ancient texts. Notable appearances include Homer's Odyssey, the Bible (both Testaments), the Quran, Pliny the Elder, and Theophrastus "On the Nature of Plants".
Use this tag for all questions about growing olive trees.
