Olive

Olive

Olive Olea europaea is a Syrian native that has been cultivated in Asia since the dawn of civilisation. It is a shrub or small tree that has oily fruits which ripen to a purple colour. Unripe green fruits are harvested for pickling. As cultivated olives yield more oil than the wild plants, they were highly valued and possessing olive groves was a sign of wealth and power. [CH] {FW}