Oleaceae family(Olea europaea)
Oleaceae family
Olives were domesticated by about 3500 B.C. from wild trees of the same genus growing throughout the Mediterranean and Near East. Olives are, of course, an important item throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The olive orchard shown above, far right, is growing near the ruins of the biblical city of Sardis in Asia Minor. Olericulture is the art and science of cultivating and processing olives. The most prized product of the olive in its native range is the oil, which is a staple in cooking Mediterranean cuisines. Olive culture has spread, mostly via cutting and grafting due to the slow growth of seedlings, to Mediterranean-type climates throughout the world, including California, which is a leading olive producer. Olives have extreme longevity, and a single tree can live for at least 1,000 years (upper left).