5 Things Special About Olive Trees You Didn’t Know

If we get to know olive trees well, we soon discover many things special about olive trees. That olive trees are not only a boon to our landscape but offer us beauty, lifelong company, sacred meaning, wildlife habitat, and shelter during all four seasons.

As well, olive trees not only produce olive fruits but have many other gifts to offer. So here I listed 5 things special about olive trees.

1.     Olive Tree Can Be Your Lifelong Friend

Did you know that some of the oldest living olive trees on the planet are more than 2000 years old?

With tender care and dedication, growing an olive tree indoors or in a backyard can become a treasure that you can pass on to the next generations.

An olive tree can easily outlive most pests such as cat and dogs, and despite being a silent companion, it can become a lifelong best friend of yours.

Read more on the olive tree lifespan.

2.     Olive Trees Are Extremely Resistant Trees 

Olive trees are resistant to drought and can stay a few months without rain if the roots are well established in the ground. They are resilient to various pests and diseases, can survive even a fire.

Because olive tree growth rate is very slow, it’s wood is extremely dense and tightly grained. Therefore olive tree wood is very hard and dry, and the trees themselves are long-lasting and grow for thousands of years.

3.     Olive Tree Wood is One of the Hardest of All Woods 

Olive tree wood is a very rare, strong, and hard type of wood. According to the Janka hardness test, olive wood is considered to be at least 2 times as hard as oak. The main reason for that is tight grain and extreme density of olive wood due to its slow growth.

Olive wood is highly appreciated by woodcrafters due to extremely resistant material to decay and interesting grain patterns.

However, this hardwood is tough to find due to the commercial importance of olive fruit and slow growth. There most popular kitchen utensils are made from branches left after pruning the olive tree.

4.     Olive Trees Give Food and Shelter For Wildlife

Olive trees provide olive fruits as a healthy food not only to us but to wildlife as well and often host insects in their bark. Olive trees grow best in warm and sunny climates, but if you live in a colder climate zone, thick branches also provide all-important shelter from the cold for birds and even squirrels.

Though our cities may have eaten up wildlife habitat when we built it, there is no reason why we can’t grow some of it back.

As well, your kids will get to discover the wonders of nature right in our backyards, and the animals will thank us too.   

5.     Olive Trees Have Been Sacred For Centuries

Olive tree branches symbolizing abundance, glory, and peace were ritually offered to gods and goddesses and powerful figures as emblems of benediction and purification, and they were used to crown the victors of both games and wars.

Olive oil is still sacred today and used in many religious ceremonies. Over history, olive tree symbolism and meaning surrounded by the symbol of peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, power, and purity.

Final Thoughts on Things Special About Olive Trees

Olive trees not only boost your mood, reduce stress, and are therapeutic to care for, but their olive fruits are used in food, and also cosmetics as a foundation for moisturizers, soaps, shampoos and conditioners.

In addition, olive tree leaves have been used as medicines for centuries. The olive leaves are known for their antiviral property due to powerful antioxidant components and are often used to assist in treating cold and flu.

Overall, there are known many things special about olive trees starting from sacred meaning to health benefits of olive oil – the most valued product of the olive tree.

Read Next

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Learn More

• 15 Facts about Olive Trees
• 10 Great Reasons to Grow Olive Trees Indoors
• 15 Greek Olive Varieties for Olive Oil
• 5 Ways to Remove Olive Stains from Concrete Driveway

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Are You Looking to Buy an Olive Tree? 

If you are looking to add more potted trees or other plants to your orchard, or if you like to replace a neglected olive tree, the best places to get them are your local nursery or an online nursery.

One of the most reliable and the world's largest online nurseries is Fast Growing Trees. They deliver fast, neat, and healthy plants backed with a 30-day guarantee.