Olive

The olive branches on Israel’s emblem are a reminder that some trees in Galilee may date back to Roman times.

The olive is an evergreen, slow-growing tree with a gnarled, often hollow trunk and narrow leaves that are silvery underneath. It bears small white flowers, and in autumn produces its fruits – olives, which are pressed for oil. It tolerates dry, hot summers and stony soils extremely well. Trees can live for more than a thousand years and resprout from the stump even after being cut down.

Significance in the country

The olive is one of the biblical “seven species” of the Land of Israel, and the olive branch carried by the dove in the Flood story has become a universal symbol of peace. It has been grown without interruption in Galilee and the Judaean Hills for thousands of years.

Where it grows

Olive groves are most numerous in Galilee and the Judaean Hills; the tree is also grown in the Shephelah and around Haifa, and modern irrigated plantations operate in the northern Negev.

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