Olive(s)

Olive – Olea Europaea

 

A small tree originating from the coastal areas of the eastern part of the Mediterranean sea as well as the northern parts of Iran and the Caspian sea. The word for oil in many languages comes from the latin word of this tree and its fruit, including the English word oil.

 

The olive tree is one of the most mentioned plants in recorded literature, it is mentioned by the Greek author Homer, the Roman poet Horace and a scottish scholar called Lord Monboddo, also known as James Burnett. Because of the trees natural hardiness and high resistance to drought, disease and fire it has the ability to live for several centuries, one the oldest living examples exists on Crete and is over 2000 years old, this has been confirmed by scientific evidence.

 

Another tree, that is rumored to have been a part of Platos Academy, dating it over 2400 years back, were still sprouting branches in 1975 when a bus accident caused it to uproot, the trunk can still be displayed in the Agricultural University of Athens. Yet another tree, located in Santu Batolu di Carana in Italy, has even gotten a name out of respect, is believed to be between 3000 and 4000 years old, this is only confirmed through stories and hearsay.

 

The Olive tree is cultivated for its oil, wood, fruit and leaf, lately it has even been considered for its use as a renewable energy source, burning the leftovers of olive plants is 2.5 times more effective than burning regular wood and the ashes can be used as a fertilizer, this process has been patended in the Middle East and the US.

 

Most olives harvested today are harvested by shaking the entire tree or one branch at a time since using olives found on the ground can lead to low quality oil.