Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Grains, Berries - Olive

Olive Color 646 - #808000

Olea europaea The olive, meaning "Oil from/of Europe" is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iraq, and northern Iran at the south of the Caspian Sea.

Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil. The tree and its fruit give its name to the plant family, which also includes species such as lilacs, jasmine, Forsythia and the true ash trees (Fraxinus). The word derives from Latin oli-va. The word "oil" in multiple languages ultimately derives from the name of this tree and its fruit.

The age of an olive tree in Crete, the Finix Olive is claimed to be over 2,000 years old, this estimate is based on archaeological evidence around the tree. An olive tree in Algarve, Portugal, is 2000 years old, according to radiocarbon dating. An olive tree in Bar, Montenegro, is claimed to be over 2,000 years old