Even after thousands of years, this plant continues to yield olives.
The Vouves Olive Tree located in Crete, Greece, is most likely the oldest olive tree globally and one of the oldest trees still living. According to tree ring analysis, it has been confirmed that it is over 2,000 years old, but experts from the University of Crete have estimated it to be as ancient as 4,000 years! This tree is a true wonder of nature and a testament to its endurance and resilience.
Although the olive tree’s exact age cannot be determined, there is no scientific method that agrees on determining its age. Nonetheless, it is undoubtedly as old as time itself.
The tree that was discovered could be as old as 4,000 years, according to reports. The image credit goes to Alexey Komarov.
The Olive tree of Vouves has a remarkable feature of still bearing olives. As per Greek Reporter, this ancient tree produces the finest olive oil globally, considering the region as the birthplace of olive cultivation on Crete Island.
The olive tree’s trunk has a circumference of 41 feet (12.5 m) and a diameter of 15 feet (4.6 m), but it is gradually becoming hollow as the heartwood rots away. However, this tree has an interesting way of renewing itself outwardly, which has made it a symbol of eternal life since ancient times.
It’s amazing how the hollow trunk of the olive tree doesn’t hinder its growth or production of olives. It’s even been recognized as a protected natural monument and has its own museum dedicated to showcasing the traditional methods and tools used for olive cultivation, which opened in October 2009 in a beautiful 19th-century house nearby.
The winners of the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics were awarded with wreaths made from branches of a tree. Interestingly, this same tree might have been used to make the wreaths for the first ever Olympic Games held in Olympia in 776 BC.
