Mar. 21, 2024
Using radiocarbon dating, researchers concluded a 1,100-year-old tree in Lebanon is the world’s oldest olive tree. Other experts believe the method may have been flawed.
Jan. 31, 2024
Farmers on Small Italian Islands Restore Ancient Groves and Local Production
Growers on Giglio Island and Capri are restoring centuries-old olive trees to revive a fading culture and protect unique island landscapes.
Jan. 2, 2024
Officials in Jordan Work to Protect Millennial Olive Trees
Although they have lived through war, famine and plagues, Jordan's ancient olive trees are now threatened by luxury hotels and affluent collectors.
Dec. 7, 2023
Celebrating South America's Historic Olive Trees
The organization Sudoliva documents and preserves historic olive trees which tell the story of the European colonization of Latin America.
Aug. 29, 2023
No Respite in Greece as Wildfires Incinerate Ancient Olive Groves in Makri
Wildfires continue to wreak havoc in rural Greece, partially destroying the traditional Makri olive grove and leaving local producers in despair.
Jun. 26, 2023
Canneto Sabino: A Living Legacy of Sabina's Olive Oil Tradition
With roots dating back centuries, the millenary Canneto Sabino symbolizes the history and tradition of olive oil production in southeastern Lazio.
Jun. 4, 2023 News Briefs
Unveiling the Mystery and Magic Surrounding Tuscany’s Olivo della Strega
Feb. 15, 2023 News Briefs
Jan. 11, 2023 Business
Nov. 30, 2022 News Briefs
Centuries-Old Groves Restored and Harvested at Trajan's Historic Home
Aug. 26, 2022 World
Jul. 13, 2022
Signs of Life from Millenary Olive Tree Burned in Sardinian Wildfires
Volunteers and researchers responsible for restoring the tree warn that more needs to be done to prevent future wildfires.
May. 12, 2022
Court Halts Removal of Xylella-Infected Millenary Trees in Puglia
Local agricultural associations protested a local court's decision and said it would result in further damage to the region’s olive trees.
Apr. 26, 2022
Ancient Trees Are Key to Healthy Forests, Scientists Say
Ancient trees help keep forests alive by passing on their experience and hardiness to other trees and plants in the forest. They also better sequester carbon dioxide than trees of average age and provide shelter for endangered species.
Nov. 9, 2021
Celebrating the Fruit of An Ancient Tree in Montenegro
The Old Olive Tree in southern Montenegro is thought to be the oldest in Europe and the third-oldest in the world.
Sep. 17, 2021
Rehabilitating Olive Trees in Aragón to Stem Spain’s Rural Exodus
Apadrina un Oliva has put the area’s abandoned olive trees up for adoption. The result has handed a lifeline to the town and its residents.
Jul. 29, 2021
Millenary Olive Tree Destroyed in Sardinian Wildfires
A massive wildfire on the island destroyed 20,000 hectares of land, including many olive groves and one of Italy's most ancient olive trees.
Jul. 20, 2021
Sicily's Monumental Olive Trees Provide Window Into Island’s History
Sicily’s oldest olive trees have stories to tell. From farmers overcoming adversity to the island becoming a trade hub, olive oil production played an essential part.
Aug. 1, 2016
Greek Olive Branch Sent to Rio to Symbolize Peace in Olympics Opening Ceremony
Branches from the Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves have been used in ceremonies at each summer Olympics since the Athens Games in 2004. The wreath cutting ceremony was accompanied by an ancient dance ritual.
Mar. 23, 2016
'El Olivo' Depicts the Bond Between a Spanish Family and Their Olive Tree
When a 2,000-year old tree is uprooted and taken to Germany, a young woman fights to get it back to help save her grandfather.
Mar. 22, 2016
On the Preservation and Maintenance of Monumental Olive Trees
Tips on the preservation and maintenance of monumental olive trees by the leading expert Giorgio Pannelli.
May. 5, 2015
Confirmed: Tree is as Old as it Looks
Edin Buzuku knew his olive tree was old. Now, with the help of scientists from Istanbul Forestry University, he knows how old.
Nov. 24, 2014
'L'Ulivone,' Sabina's Tree of the Ages
In a small town near Rome lives an awe-inspiring two-thousand-year-old olive tree.
Jan. 17, 2013
Plato’s Sacred Olive Tree Vanished
Another seeming victim of the great financial crisis in Greece: an olive tree that once shaded Plato and his students.
Oct. 30, 2012
Gethsemane Olive Trees Among World's Oldest
A three-year study on the trees in Jerusalem's famous garden, has shown that their trunks and branches are around 900 years old.
Jun. 10, 2012
The olive tree is perhaps the perfect tree - hardy, beautiful and useful. It is due to these traits that some of the world’s oldest living things are olive trees, with specimens today still thriving after millennia.