How long does an olive tree live?

Centennial olive tree in Mallorca

Image - Wikimedia / David Brühlmeier

The olive tree, whose scientific name is Olea europaea, is an evergreen fruit tree native to the Mediterranean region that is grown in all the warm-temperate regions of the world. In addition to producing such delicious olives, it is a species that over time becomes more and more beautiful.

Scars and cracks, and even holes made by some birds and insects, make the old trunk of this tree look spectacular. We can tell that it has a long life expectancy just by looking at it, but ... How long does an olive tree live exactly?

What is your life expectancy?

Olive trees live millennia

The trees that have a slow growth, such as oak, redwoods, Or the beech, although they are very different from each other, they have something in common: they can live more than a thousand yearsIn fact, just to give us an idea of ​​how long they can be, specimens of Giant Sequoia have been found that have reached 3200 years. Much more than any animal. But our main tree does not have the resources of oaks or beech.

The olive, a tree native to the Mediterranean region, It does not grow slow because it is cold, but because the annual rainfall is so low and the soil so poor in nutrients that it simply cannot grow faster. When grown in a pot or in a fertilizer garden, the plant does look noticeably larger from year to year, but left to its own devices, it will take several dozen years to grow into an admirable specimen.

Still, their life expectancy is just as staggering: about 3000 years.. Yes, yes, three thousand years. An incredible age for an evergreen tree.

What is the oldest olive tree in the world?

In Spain we have 'la Farga de Arion', which is a specimen found in the Tarragona town of Ulldecona that was planted in 314, in the mandate of Emperor Constantine I (306-337 AD), which has therefore more than 1700 years. In addition, on the island of Menorca, a 2310-year-old grows; And we still have another in the country that is noteworthy: About 20 kilometers north of Lisbon, a 2850-year-old has been found. But ... even they are young compared to others in the Iberian Peninsula and in the rest of the world.

Leaving Spanish territory and going to Portugal, we will find one known as the Mouchao olive tree, which is about 3350 years old according to researcher José Luis Lousada, from the UTAD (University of Trás-os-Montes). It is 3,2 meters high, and its trunk is very thick, with a perimeter of 11 meters.

But we have to go to Palestine to see the oldest olive tree in the world. In the town of Bethlehem, it is said that some between 4000 and 5000 years old live.

How much does an olive tree grow per year?

The olive tree is a tree that grows slowly, but if the climate and soil conditions are adequate and it receives water every time it needs it, during its youth and especially During the first two years of its life (from seed) it will grow at a good rate, at a rate of about 40 centimeters per year.

From the third and, above all, fifth year, it will begin to slow down, so it is normal for it to increase its height by about 30 centimeters per season. As soon as it blooms for the first time, something it will do after five years or so, its growth rate will slow even more.

Once it reaches its final height, it will continue expending energy in the thickening of the trunk and in the production of branches, flowers and fruits., but not in continuing to grow vertically. On the other hand, it is important to know that the development of its roots will continue, which leads me to the following question:

How long are the roots of an adult olive tree?

The olive tree trunk can become very thick

Image - Wikimedia / Vicenç Salvador Torres Guerola

Mediterranean tree roots are usually very long and deep. Drought is such a serious problem that it can take months for it to rain again (in my area, for example, it usually takes about five to six months for the rainfall to return). Therefore, it is crucial that the roots grow a lot to be able to reach an area where there is some humidity.

Therefore, when planting an olive tree in the garden It must be borne in mind that it can have roots growing up to 12 meters horizontally, and about 6 meters vertically towards the interior of the earth.

Did you know that olive trees could live so long?


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.