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The olive is a Mediterranean tree with a warped trunk, silvery foliage and small white flowers from which the fruit develops.
The olive tree belongs to the Oleaceae species and its botanical name, "European Olea" is derived from the Greek term "elaia".
The olive tree is a typical European plant, indigenous within a wide area which extends from the Southern Causasus to the Cyclades Islands. It was mentioned for the first time in 1582 B.C. when Cecrope, the legendary founder of Athens, carried the plant to Greece. The olive was originally imported to Italy by the Phoenicians and then dispersed by the Romans to their conquered territories.
The olive leaves are persistent, simple, lanceolate, 4cm-8cm long with a silvery under side and a dark green upper side. The small white flowers form clusters of bouquets and blossom in June. The olive fruits range in size between 1cm-3cm. Initially they are green in colour but change to a bluish-black after ripening. The average height of the olive tree is between 10m to 15m with very slow growth. The plant however has considerable longevity, exceeding 1000 years in age