What is the name of the tree on which olives grow? Description of the olive tree, where it grows, the benefits of the fruit. Light and extra light

While enjoying a walk around spring Cyprus on the weekend, we came across the sign “Biggest olive tree in Cyprus” and couldn’t pass by! Of course, it’s not every day that you see a tree over 700 years old. Cyprus and olives are inseparable: perhaps not a single meal on the island would be complete without the fruits of these trees in one form or another, olive trees are an integral part of the local landscape, and even on the coat of arms of Cyprus, a dove carries an olive branch in its beak - a symbol of peace

Coat of arms of Cyprus

First, a little lyrics about olives and olive trees

Perhaps the most popular question: What is the difference between olives and black olives?

In Russian, it is customary to call the black fruits of the olive tree olives, and the green ones olives. In Greek and other languages there is no such division; all fruits are called olives; to indicate color, the definition “black” may be added. In Latin, olive is called Olea europaea and belongs to the olive family (Oleaceae).
Black olives (olives) are more ripened and oily. In Cyprus, preference is given to green olives (we were never served black olives in taverns) and they are prepared in several ways. Olives are usually pickled in vinegar or a special brine, sometimes coriander, garlic, salt and lemon are added to it.

What are the benefits of olives?

The olive tree grows very slowly, but lives up to two and a half thousand years. With those who consume its fruits, the olive “shares” endurance and vitality.

Experts say that olives contain almost all the vitamins and microelements a person needs. The raw pulp of the fruit contains up to 80% non-drying oil, which contains unsaturated compounds that are unique in their properties. fatty acids. Unlike animal fats, they are not only not harmful, but bring considerable benefits to the body - they prevent the development of atherosclerosis, heart and vascular diseases, do not contain and promote the removal of cholesterol, and have a beneficial effect on the digestive organs

In addition to unsaturated fatty acids, olives are rich in proteins, B vitamins, vitamins C, E, P, potassium, phosphorus, and iron. The acids contained in olives are a necessary building material for the cell membranes of our body.

Why is the olive branch a symbol of peace?

In the Bible, a dove brought Noah an olive branch from the Most High Himself, as a sign that His anger against people and the global flood had ceased. The olive tree was the first to grow after the Flood, and therefore its branch became the message of peace between God and Man

Who was the first to use olive oil?

Olive oil has been known to people for several millennia. The Phoenicians and Egyptians were the first to use it - in rituals and as a means of hygiene. And only in the 6th century BC. Olive oil began to be consumed as food.

How are olives harvested?

It is best to pick olives by hand. And this should be done with great care so as not to damage the fruits. Nowadays, a mechanical method of collecting olives is also used. The tree is shaken using a special machine. As a result, most of the fruits fall onto films spread on the ground. The method is very convenient from the point of view of saving time and labor, but unsafe for the tree itself, which may ultimately suffer.

Olives and Cyprus

Olive cultivation began in Cyprus already in the 13th century BC. During the Middle Ages, olive and carob trees were the most common crops on the island. However, in Cyprus there has always been a rather acute problem of a shortage of cultivated olive trees in the presence of a large number of wild ones. At the beginning of the 20th century, the British successfully fought against this. The creation of six olive nurseries made it possible to almost double the number of fruiting olive trees by the end of the 40s.

There are currently about 2.5 million olive trees on the island, just under two million of which are cultivated varieties. This places Cyprus in 17th position in the world in terms of the number of olive trees (the first places are held by Spain, Italy and Greece).

The most famous and widespread variety of olive trees growing in Cyprus is local - “Cypriot olive”. In total, about 10,000 tons of olives are harvested on the island per year.

How many years do olives live?

Olive trees live an amazingly long time - over 700 years! In Cyprus you can find so-called “francolives”, which grew during the Francocracy, that is, in the 12-15 centuries. Such “long-lived trees” can be recognized by their thick trunks with huge cracks and hollows.

The largest olive tree in Cyprus

This local “record holder” is not tall, but the circumference of its trunk exceeds 10 meters. The hollow of this olive tree can comfortably accommodate five people at a time. In addition, it has already celebrated its 700th anniversary!

How to get there

On the road from Nicosia to Troodos, almost before reaching the village of Peristerona, there will be an exit to the village of Orunta. Behind Orunta there will be a sign to the village of Agia Marina, from there to the village of Xyliatos. Between Agia Marina and Xyliatos there will be a brown turn to the right towards “Biggest olive tree in cyprus 600 m”, that’s where you need to turn. Then, near the gardens themselves there will be a sign “Biggest olive tree in cyprus 100 m”, there you have to walk on foot, guided by the small brown signs.

I'm standing in the photos to show the size of the tree!

And the garden itself in the surrounding area is very beautiful

In some way, the olive garden reminded me of Pushkin’s “Green oak at the Lukomorye...”, a fabulous place!

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WedLux wedding agency: organizing a wedding abroad in Cyprus, official wedding in Cyprus, symbolic wedding abroad in Cyprus, outdoor wedding, wedding by the sea, weddings on the island, inexpensive wedding abroad.

The largest olive tree in Cyprus. was last modified: September 11, 2018 by Julia

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European olive, Olive cultivar, or olive tree(lat. Olea europaea) - an evergreen subtropical tree of the Olive genus ( Olea) family Olive ( Oleaceae). The plant has been cultivated since ancient times to produce olive oil; it is not found in the wild.

Other names - European olive, olive. Olive is also the name of the fruit of the olive tree; other names for the fruit - olive, olive .

Area

The cultivated form of European olive is grown in all Mediterranean countries, in Ukraine on the southern coast of Crimea, in Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast of Russia (in the area of Gelendzhik, Tuapse and Sochi), in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and northern India. In 1560 it was brought to America, where it is cultivated mainly in Peru and Mexico. It was first cultivated in Greece, where it is grown in large quantities to this day.

Botanical description

Evergreen shrub 1-3 m or tree 4-5 (10-12) m tall. The trunk is covered with gray bark, gnarled, twisted, and usually hollow in old age. The branches are gnarled, long, and in some varieties drooping.

Leaves

The leaves are narrow-lanceolate, entire, gray-green, do not fall off in the winter and are renewed gradually over two to three years.

Flowers

Depending on the climate, olive trees bloom from late April to early July. The fragrant flowers are very small, from 2 to 4 centimeters long, whitish, with two stamens, located in the axils of the leaves in the form of paniculate racemes. There are from 10 to 40 flowers in one inflorescence.

If 6 weeks before flowering the tree experiences drought or lack of nutrients, then the yield decreases sharply as the number of flowers decreases. In this case, cross-pollination can help increase the yield.

Fruit

The fruit of the olive is a drupe, most often of an elongated oval shape, from 0.7 to 4 centimeters long and 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter, with a pointed or blunt nose, with a fleshy pericarp containing oil. The color of the fruit pulp varies depending on the type of tree. IN different options it can be either green, black or dark purple, often with an intense waxy coating. The stone is very dense, with a grooved surface. Fruit ripening occurs 4-5 months after flowering. An olive tree is productive after 20 years. The tree has a rotation effect and bears fruit once every 2 years. The average olive fruit consists of:

90% of olives are used to make olive oil, which even without preservatives has a fairly long shelf life, which is of great importance for the Mediterranean. For commercial trade, olives are pickled with or without pits.

Abkhazia

On the territory of Abkhazia, the largest growth area is about 4,000 trees; it is located in New Athos, on the lands of the New Athos Monastery. Currently, in the Gagra region there are wild olive trees, living witnesses to the fact that in ancient times this crop was widespread in these places.

Azerbaijan

In the territory of present-day Azerbaijan, olives have been cultivated for a very long time. This is confirmed by the remains of this plant found during excavations in Absheron, Barda and other areas. Over time, the olive plantations of Azerbaijan were lost as a result of medieval wars, and there is no literary information about the development of this culture until the 17th century inclusive.

Currently, one of the oldest trees has been preserved in the village. Nardaran (Baku), which is at least 180-200 years old. In Baku, in the Governor's Garden, there are about 100 trees aged 80-90 years, and in Ganja there are 6 trees of approximately the same age.

Georgia

Literary sources claim that olives have also been cultivated in Georgia since ancient times. At the end of the 18th century, significant plantings were created in the Tbilisi region, as well as in other places.

Italy

Italy's olive plantings are far superior to the classic olive-producing country of Greece. Olive is one of the main cultivated plants in Italy. Most of the country's olive plantings are co-located with grapes, citrus fruits, figs and almonds. According to 1958 data, a total of 226 thousand hectares were occupied by olive plantations in Italy. In 1965, 1,792 thousand tons of olive fruits were harvested in Italy.

Türkiye

Among olive-producing countries, Türkiye ranks 4th in terms of the number of trees and 6th in terms of area occupied by them.

Ukraine

In Ukraine, olives are grown in Crimea, and they can grow not only on the southern coast, but also on the rest of the peninsula. According to inaccurate data, olive cultivation has been practiced in Crimea since 1785. And in our time you can find individual patriarch trees that are 400-500 years old. There are also group plantings in the form of small groves. The oldest olive tree in Ukraine grows in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which is estimated to be up to 2000 years old.

Croatia

In Croatia, olive plantations suffered greatly during World War II, where the German occupiers cut down and burned, according to incomplete data, more than a million trees.

Usage

Varieties

According to physico-chemical parameters and oil content, olives can be roughly divided into two groups: rich in oil content and less rich. Olives, rich in oil content, belong to the olive group. The second group includes varieties suitable for processing or canning varieties. The main indicators when evaluating canned varieties are the diameter of the fruit, its weight and the ratio of pulp and stone (the smaller the stone and the more pulp, the more valuable the fruit), the properties of the pulp and its chemical composition. Also, the grade of olives is determined depending on the place of growth, color, degree of maturity and size.

food product

Since ancient times, people have eaten olive fruits and made olive oil from them.

Olives are rich in fat; The yield of oil to absolutely dry matter, depending on the pomological variety, ranges from 50 to 80%. The fruits are rich in proteins, pectins, sugars, vitamins: B, C, E, P-active catechins, contain potassium salts, phosphorus, iron and other elements. In addition, carbohydrates, catechins, phenolcarboxylic acids, pectin substances, and triterpene saponins were found in the fruits. The leaves contain organic acids, phytosterol, glycoside oleuropein, resins, flavonoids, lactone elenolide, bitter and tannins, essential oil, which includes ethers, phenols, camphene, eugenol, cineole, citral and alcohols. The leaves contain glycosides, organic acids, bitterness, flavonoids and tannins.

Olive fruit oil is the main product for which this crop is mainly cultivated. But olive fruits are also widely used in the canning industry for making canned food from green fruits, and from black ones - dry-salted olives. Provencal olive oil is used in the food industry in the production of gourmet canned fish (sprats, sardines).

Canned olives, dry salted black olives, and especially stuffed ones, have a piquant taste, are a snack, canned delicacy, complement the range of food products, and most importantly have medicinal value.

Wood

Greenish-yellow, heavy, strong and curly wood lends itself well to polishing and is used for making furniture. It is also valued by woodcarvers; it is used for inlays and the manufacture of expensive turning and carpentry products.

Medical use

They are trying to replace quinine with the bark of the olive tree, and infusions from the leaves normalize blood pressure and breathing. Experts say that olives contain almost all the vitamins and microelements a person needs. The raw pulp of the fruit contains up to 80% non-drying oil, which contains unique unsaturated fatty acids - oleic (75%), linoleic (13%) and linolenic (0.55%). Unlike animal fats, they are not only not harmful, but bring considerable benefits to the body - they prevent the development of atherosclerosis, heart and vascular diseases, do not contain and promote the removal of cholesterol, and have a beneficial effect on the digestive organs. Spanish oil producers believe that olives are useful for people at any age and may well become the basis of even a child’s diet. The fact is that the acids they contain - the main component of vitamin F - are necessary both building material cell membranes, and the body itself synthesizes them only partially

European olives (Olea europea) are a type of evergreen tree belonging to the Oleaceae family. Historically, the olive tree is the oldest cultivated by humans and one of the most cold-resistant plant species of this type. In human culture (not only culinary and agricultural), the plant plays an important role.

Historical information about the plant

Some archaeological evidence suggests that olives may have been domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean region 10,000 years ago. Other evidence suggests that Olea europaea was first cultivated in Crete and Syria over 5,000 years ago. Around 600 BC e. There is an active spread of olive oil in Greece, Italy and other Mediterranean countries. It has been closely associated with the religion, culture, medicine and culinary traditions of peoples for thousands of years.

Since ancient times, the oil of this plant has occupied a special place in people's lives. In Christianity, the liquid is used in the sacrament of anointing. In fact, there are many cultures in which the dead body was anointed with oil before being buried. Prophet Muhammad also encouraged believers to use olive oil.

Colonizers and settlers brought two important things to the New World - grapes and olives. However, the purpose of bringing olives was not so that they could serve as food, but for use for ritual purposes. This is one of the reasons that California is another of the major suppliers of olives today, but the olives produced there are not that good.

Olive is one of the oldest and most common plants. It is even mentioned in the Bible (a dove brought an olive branch to Noah to show that the flood was over). For many years, the plant has been a symbol of peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, strength and purity.

Ancient Greek mythology tells how the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon argued over who would give their name to a new city in Attica. Almighty Zeus, seeking a solution to the dispute, decreed that the city would be named after the one who provided the best gift to the inhabitants of Attica.

Poseidon hit the rock with his trident, a spring appeared from there, but the water was sea. Athena struck the ground near the Acropolis with her spear and an olive tree grew there. It was accepted as a gift with greater value, since its fruits provide food, medicine, cosmetics, etc. To this day, the city bears the name of the goddess Athena, and is still the capital of Greece. According to tradition, the tree that still grows there is the first gift given by the gods to the inhabitants of the Earth.

The tree can be grown directly from the seed. To do this, it is placed in water for a day, and then planted in a small pot with a mixture of sand and soil. A new seedling should appear in about 3 months. Most often, olives are propagated by separating stem cuttings. This is done in the summer. The best soil for this is acid-alkaline. If it is enriched with vitamins and minerals, the tree will have more foliage. The plant is fertilized once a month in spring and summer with nitrogen fertilizer. Each spring, the tree's crown can be trimmed and shaped. Irrigation is important for the proper development of the tree.

In spring and summer it should be watered regularly, after waiting for the soil to dry out a little. In autumn, irrigation is gradually reduced, and in winter the ground should be dry most of the time. Since the tree comes from the Mediterranean region, where the weather is drier and hotter, it needs a lot of light and warmth. It is good to plant where the sun does not shine directly all day. Winter temperature should be at least 0 degrees. These trees are strong and resistant to disease, but among the dangerous pests are mites and aphids.

Olives are used to strengthen health. Symptoms and diseases that are positively affected by the consumption (internal or external) of olives and oils:

headache;
heart pain;
high blood pressure;
uterine bleeding;
asthma;
eye diseases;
hair loss;
skin damage and rash;
spasms and nerve diseases;
herpes;
hives.

Olive oil is classified according to the method of production and the content of oleic acid in it. Cold-pressed virgin oil contains up to 2% oleic acid. Refined oil is produced using heat or a solvent and requires further processing to produce a product containing up to 3.3% oleic acid.

Olive pollen is one of the most important causes of seasonal respiratory allergies in Mediterranean countries. Contact dermatitis and food allergies to olive tree and olive oil have also been reported.

The tree grows very slowly, so some people consider it immortal. Some trees are believed to be over 1000 years old. There are now trees in the world that, according to official data, are more than 3,000 years old. The olive is often called the “eternal tree.”

For Avicenna, olive was a cure for almost all diseases. The hot temperament of the Mediterranean population, according to their beliefs, depends on the consumption of olives, which are present almost daily on their menu.

These trees are planted for ornamental and practical purposes, such as as a wind barrier and to control soil erosion in the Mediterranean region. The wood is used in furniture making in South Africa. She and olive pits are excellent solid fuel.

Today the total number of trees in the world is about 800 million. Approximately 150 million of them are in their historical homeland - Greece, where olive trees grow, which are cultivated, harvested and processed using methods known since ancient times. A very interesting fact is that almost all the land allocated for olive cultivation (98%) is located in the Mediterranean Sea.

More than 100 are grown in Greece various types olive production, the country is known for its hot summers and mild winters. The unique combination of this climate with dry and rocky soil contributes to the production of exceptionally high-quality olive oil, as well as olives with large fruits and great taste.

Many people ask whether olives are a fruit or a berry. What kind of plant is this? We will consider these and other questions in the article.

Or cultivated olive - a subtropical evergreen tree. The plant belongs to the species of the genus Olive (olea) of the Olive family (Oleaceae). Since ancient times, it has been grown to produce olive oil; it is not found in the wild.

Olives

So, are olives a fruit or a vegetable or a berry? Olives are the fruits of the olive tree - black olives. They are the ones ripe fruits, removed from the branch at the end of the season. Green olives are usually picked unripe.

Olives are neither a berry, nor a fruit, nor a vegetable. In fact, they are classified into a separate category - the olive family.

There has long been debate about the dangers and benefits of olives. We almost always purchase products that depend on a variety of additives, some of which may be synthetic. And yet these fruits also have valuable qualities.

Benefit

Why do many people wonder: are olives a fruit or a berry? Yes, because it's very useful fruits. They improve the activity of blood vessels and the heart, strengthen the mucous membranes and cell membranes. Olives are good for stomach and liver health. During the diet, monounsaturated fatty acids replenish the supply of nutritional substances. There is evidence of the beneficial effects of olives on the body during pregnancy. They help normalize the level of sodium salts and hemoglobin, a deficiency of which is observed in expectant mothers.

Olives are widely used in cosmetology because they have anti-aging properties. This product has long been considered an aphrodisiac with a healing effect on men's health. It contains linoleic acid, which promotes the proper development of the children's nervous system.

Bones

When discussing whether olives are a fruit or a berry, let's look at beneficial properties olives with pits. In traditional medicine they are used to heal joints. To do this, the bones are crushed, combined with molten wax, placed on a heating pad and the affected areas are heated.

However, in addition to their healing qualities, olives have some contraindications. So, in order not to cause harm to health, if you are overweight and cholecystitis, you need to limit the consumption of these fruits. Their energy value high, because 100 g of olives is 145 kcal.

Cooking

Don't worry about olives - they are fruits or berries. It is better to find out where these delicious fruits are used. Olives are used constantly in cooking. Mainly, they serve as a decoration for dishes and as an independent snack, although they are often added to soups and salads. And stewed dishes acquire spicy, bright notes with them.

Explanation

Olives are a fruit that came to us from the Mediterranean. In our country, green fruits are called olives, and black fruits are called olives, as mentioned above. In fact, there is no fruit called “olive”! On our planet, olives have only one name - “olive”.

The fruit of the olive is a drupe, and therefore many call it a berry. Depending on the form in which it is used, it can be both a vegetable and a fruit. If it is part of a salad, then it is a vegetable. If eaten fresh, it is a fruit.

Tree

So, we have already found out that an olive is a berry. The olive tree in the Mediterranean is regarded as immortal. It grows very slowly, but lives for about 2.5 thousand years, and its fruits give the body a myriad of useful and necessary substances - iron, phosphorus and potassium, vitamins B, C, E and so on. The bones are completely digested without causing any harm to the body.

Usually the height of the olive tree is six meters, but sometimes you can find trees twice as tall. During flowering, it exudes a wonderful fragrance. An olive tree can be fertile and useful only after reaching 20 years of age. The tree bears berries once every two years.

History and Application

Olive originated in Greece and continues to be actively cultivated there today. The plant was introduced to the United States in 1560 and grown in Peru and Mexico. Today, the olive is successfully grown in the Mediterranean powers, Iraq, Georgia, Pakistan, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and India.

Olive is Therefore, they plant it in two pieces: male and female together. Olive oil is produced from its fruits, which is used in the manufacture of canned fish. It contains phosphorus, iron, sugars, pectin, vitamins B, P, C. The quality of the oil is affected by the type of tree, the type of soil in which it grows, and climatic conditions. In addition, olives are canned, as already mentioned, and used as a snack.

Olive wood is used to make furniture, carpentry and turning products. IN medicinal purposes The bark and leaves and the oil contained in the fruits are used.

In addition, olive oil is popular in soap making and the perfume industry. Trees provide excellent protection against landslides and soil erosion. Their root system prevents natural disasters.

Reflections

Let's return to the definition of olives. Are they vegetables or fruits? Judging by the seed, they are not berries. So they're fruit? What is the essence of the division into vegetables and fruits?

The fruit is known to be edible, from a bush or tree. Certain berries are also a type of fruit. “Fruit” is usually called any fruit consisting of seeds and pulp and arising from the ovary of a flower. Vegetables are also fruits herbaceous plants having soft stems not covered with tree bark.

Botanists consider all fruits that contain seeds to be fruits. They divide them into three groups:

Fruits with juicy pulp and seeds (melons, oranges, apples, berries).
Dry fruits (peas, nuts, beans).
Fruits with juicy pulp and a single central large stone (peaches, plums, cherries).

Vegetable is a culinary term meaning the edible part (such as a tuber or fruit) of a plant that is not a grain, fruit, herb, nut or spice.

In this classification, berries are classified as fruits. It is known that the stem of the olive is not herbaceous, which means it is clearly not a vegetable. In fact, fruits such as cherries, raspberries, plums, walnut- these are drupes. It looks like the olive is a drupe, not a berry.

But still, it turns out that both the berry and the drupe are fruits. So olive is a fruit. Of course, it is more correct to think that olives are a vegetable, fruit and berry all rolled into one. And yet many people claim that an olive is an olive!

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European olive, or Cultural olive, or European olive, or Olive tree(lat. Olea europaea) - evergreen subtropical tree; species of the genus Olive ( Olea) family Olive ( Oleaceae).

The plant has been cultivated since ancient times to produce olive oil; it is not found in the wild. Is a fruit.

Area

Fruit

Olive fruits on a branch

90% of the olives are used to make olive oil, which even without preservatives has a long shelf life, which is of great importance for the Mediterranean. Other olives are pickled with or without pits.

Collection and preparation

The leaves are harvested during the flowering period of the plant and dried in the shade in the fresh air or in dry, well-ventilated areas. The fruits are harvested between September and December.

Usage

Varieties

According to physico-chemical parameters and oil content, olives can be roughly divided into two groups: rich in oil content and less rich. Olives, rich in oil content, belong to the oil group. The second group includes varieties suitable for processing or canning varieties. The main indicators when evaluating canned varieties are the diameter of the fruit, its weight and the ratio of pulp and stone (the smaller the stone and the more pulp, the more valuable the fruit), the properties of the pulp and its chemical composition. Also, the grade of olives is determined depending on the place of growth, color, degree of maturity and size, as well as the intensity of the garden (the location of the trees relative to each other).

Food product

Olive trade in Turkey

Since ancient times, people have eaten olive fruits and made olive oil from them.

Olives are rich in fat; The yield of oil to absolutely dry matter, depending on the pomological variety, ranges from 50 to 80%. The fruits are rich in proteins, pectins, sugars, vitamins: B, C, E, P-active catechins, contain potassium salts, phosphorus, iron and other elements. In addition, carbohydrates, catechins, phenolcarboxylic acids, pectin substances, and triterpene saponins were found in the fruits. The leaves contain organic acids, phytosterol, oleuropein glycoside, resins, flavonoids, lactone elenolide, bitter and tannins, essential oil, which includes esters, phenols, camphene, eugenol, cineol, citral and alcohols. The leaves contain glycosides, organic acids, bitterness, flavonoids and tannins.

Canned olives, dry-salted black olives, and especially stuffed ones, have a piquant taste, are a snack, canned delicacy, complement the range of food products, and most importantly, have medicinal value.

Wood

Medical use

They are trying to replace quinine with the bark of the olive tree, and infusions from the leaves normalize blood pressure and breathing. The raw pulp of the fruit contains up to 80% non-drying oil [ ], which contains unsaturated fatty acids - oleic (75%), linoleic (13%) and linolenic (0.55%). Unlike animal fats, they are not only not harmful, but bring considerable benefits to the body. The fact is that the acids they contain - the main component of vitamin F - are necessary as building materials for cell membranes, and the body itself synthesizes them only partially [ ] .

Other Applications

Olive oil is used in the cosmetics industry. The second and lower grades of oil are known as wood oil and are used for lubricating machines and soap making.

The plants are a good ameliorant on terraced mountain slopes steeper than 10-12°. They make the soil resistant to erosion and subsidence, which is very important in stopping landslides, soil erosion and wasteful discharge of water from precipitation. Olive trees, characterized by durability and power of the root system, are able to stop the spontaneous situation in the Opolznevsky forestry.

Taxonomy

Olea europaea, 1753, Sp. Pl. 1:8.

Synonyms

Subspecies

Olea europaea subsp. europaea
Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis G.Kunkel & Sunding
- [syn. Olea europaea var. cerasiformis Webb & Berthel. ]
- [syn. Olea europaea var. maderensis Lowe ]
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) Cif.
- [syn. Olea africana Mill.- African olive]
- [syn. Olea europaea subsp. africana (Mill.) P.S.Green ]
- [syn. Olea chrysophylla Lam.]
- [syn. Olea cuspidata Wall. ex G.Don]
- [syn. Olea ferruginea Royle]
- [syn. Olea verrucosa (Wild.) Link]
- [syn. Olea sativa var. verrucosa (Willd.) Roem. & Schult. ]
Olea europaea subsp. guanchica P. Vargas et al.
Olea europaea subsp. laperrinei (Batt. & Trab.) Cif.
- [syn. Olea laperrinei Batt. & Trab.]
Olea europaea subsp. Moroccana (Greuter & Burdet) P. Vargas et al.
- [syn. Olea maroccana Greuter & Burdet]

History and geography of cultivation

Russia

The cultivation of the common olive (olive) in the Caucasus began thanks to Greek colonists who settled on the northern shores of the Black Sea starting in the 7th century BC. Some scientists suggest that the olive was brought to the Caucasus from Asia Minor, located several hundred kilometers to the south and where this culture grew in “pre-Greek” times. This gives reason to believe that olive appeared in the Caucasus even earlier than in Greece. However, be that as it may, with the desolation of the ancient Greek colonies, olive cultivation fell into decline, which continued until the 12th-15th centuries. With the arrival of colonialists from Genoa in the northern Black Sea region, the cultivation of the olive tree began again, but subsequently the olive culture did not become widespread due to the cultivation of other crops, such as grapes. Currently, in the Caucasus, the olive tree is found from Gelendzhik to Batumi (Georgia).

Crimea

Olives are grown in Crimea, and they can grow not only on the southern coast, but also on the rest of the peninsula. According to inaccurate data, olive cultivation has been practiced in Crimea since 1785. Nowadays you can find individual patriarch trees that are 400-500 years old. There are also group plantings in the form of small groves. The oldest olive tree in Crimea grows in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which is about 2000 years old.

Azerbaijan

Currently, one of the oldest trees, which is at least 180-200 years old, has survived in the village of Nardaran (Baku). In Baku, in the Governor's Garden there are about 100 trees aged 80-90 years, in Ganja there are six trees of about the same age.

In 1939, olive state farms were created in the Baku region - “Mashtaginsky”, “Zykhsky”, “Zyrinsky” and “Turkiyansky”. The total harvest of olives arriving at the cannery by 1965 reached 220-250 tons per year, of which 25-30 tons were for dry salting.

Olive is used and how ornamental plant, as a decoration for avenues, parks and squares. Mass harvesting from these trees, the number of which reaches 40 thousand, is not organized, and the yield obtained from them by 1965 was 13-15 tons

Greece

In Greece, the olive tree has been cultivated since time immemorial. According to legend, the first olive tree was given to people by the goddess Athena, when she won her dispute with Poseidon about who should be the patron saint of Athens. In Greece, it was believed that the first olive tree arose from the spear of the goddess Athena, which she stuck on the Athenian Acropolis. In ancient times, the Greeks not only consumed olive oil, but also used it to lubricate wounds and rubbed themselves with it before sports competitions. It was the Greeks who spread the olive tree throughout the Mediterranean. Modern Greece is the world leader in olive oil consumption, with almost 24 liters of oil per inhabitant per year. In oil production, Greece is usually slightly inferior to Italy, in some years ahead of this country (on average, olive oil production in Greece is about 2000 tons per year)

Spain

Spain is a world leader in olive production. In 2011, Spain produced 7,869 tons of olives (total world production that year was 19,894, so Spain's share was 39.55% of world production, according to FAO).

Grove of olive trees in Umbria

Italy

Italy surpasses the classic olive-producing country Greece in terms of olive plantings. Olive is one of the main cultivated plants in Italy. Most of the country's olive plantings are co-located with grapes, citrus fruits, figs and almonds. According to data for 1958, 226 thousand hectares were occupied by olive plantations in Italy. In 1965, 1,792 thousand tons of olive fruits were harvested in Italy.

Portugal

Türkiye

One of the olive producing countries is Türkiye.

Croatia and Montenegro

2000-year-old olive tree in Bar (Montenegro)

In Croatia, olive plantations suffered greatly during World War II. The German occupiers cut down and burned, according to incomplete data, more than a million trees.

One of the oldest olives is considered to be a 2000-year-old tree growing in the city of Bar in Montenegro.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority

Palestine is one of the world's largest suppliers of souvenirs and religious goods made from olive wood, including those made mainly in the Palestinian city