The olive tree, with its beautifully coloured and patterned wood, can live for thousands of years and continue to grow

Although it is not an intensively used wood, I often see small objects made by craftsmen, including Romanians, who live in areas where olive trees are part of the common landscape. It is an interesting wood, beautifully colored and "drawn", which makes it very suitable for objects such as collectors' pens, jewelry boxes or small pieces of high-class furniture. Olive trees are cultivated for the fruit from which the famous oil is extracted, and the use of wood is secondary, especially as the trees are long-lived. The stories and historical data about the olive tree go back a long way in history, its cultivation having been known for over 5000 years. These are all very strong arguments in favor of an article on olive wood.

Olive, the oldest cultivated tree

Find the olive tree mentioned in old historical documents, where it is confirmed to have been cultivated in ancient Crete and ancient Syria more than five thousand years ago. There is much historical evidence of their presence found in archaeological sites, tombs, books and documents. Olive branches were found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, olive oil, olive branches and olive wood have been mentioned numerous times in the Bible and the Koran, olives were known as an important part of the diet of the inhabitants of ancient Rome.

The average lifespan of an olive tree is between 300 and 600 years, but some trees live much longer. There are disputes between countries over who has the oldest olive tree. A specimen from Crete is believed to be over 2000 years old, while Italy and Lebanon claim to have olive trees over 3000 years old. But the oldest certified olive tree is in Greece, 2000 years old and still bearing fruit.

Types of olive

Native to the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the olive tree has been cultivated in other areas because of the qualities of the fruit and the oil obtained from it. More than 20 countries are known to grow it in agricultural plantations, with 60% of the area under olive trees in Europe. The top 5 olive-growing countries are Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Syria.

There are 2 main types of olive trees. One is Olea europaea, the traditional olive tree, found in the eastern Mediterranean, Syria, parts of Asia Minor, the southern end of the Caspian Sea and northern Iran. It is known for its versatile wood and highly prized tasty olives. Its branches are known as a symbol of peace. There are several subspecies and hundreds of varieties of Olea europaea. The other type is Olea capensis, An olive tree from sub-Saharan Africa, recognized for its harder, darker wood.

Although some olive trees can reach up to 40 m in height, the vast majority are between 8 and 15 m tall and 1-1.5 m in diameter. The trunk becomes increasingly gnarled and twisted with age. The branches form rich crowns and often grow twisted. The leaves are slender and elongated, silvery green on the upper side and silvery silver on the underside. The flowers are small and white and the fruits are small with a stone inside (drupes). The fruits of wild varieties are smaller than those grown in plantations.

Structure and characteristics of olive wood

Olive wood has a pleasant, richly colored and patterned appearance, which makes it very suitable for decorative objects. The pattern shows contrasting brown or black lines on a yellowish or even whitish background. During processing it gives off a distinct, pleasant, sweet fruity odor, which can linger for years after the object is finished. It is difficult to dry and is likely to warp due to the high stresses involved. Very slow drying at low temperatures is recommended.

The heartwood is yellowish to brown with contrasting dark brown or black stripes. The color tends to darken with age. Olive wood sometimes has twisted, wavy or wild grain, and very interestingly textured burls are found on the trunk. The texture is smooth and has a moderate natural sheen that can be polished. The pores are diffuse, small to medium-sized, moderately numerous and without a specific arrangement. The annual rings are not always visible and the medullary rays are narrow, invisible without a magnifying glass.

Olive wood is hard, heavy, dense and very strong. The average specific weight of dry wood is 990 kg/m³. It is generally fairly easy to process, with problems, however, if the fiber is twisted or when processing burls. In terms of resistance to decay, some data say it is not resistant at all, others give medium resistance. The main cause of lack of resistance is sensitivity to insect attack. It seems that the pleasant odor attracts insects and this makes it very vulnerable.

It is glues and finishes smoothly and is easy to turn.

Uses

Because the olive tree grows twisted and irregularly, with many side branches that distort the trunk, it is difficult to obtain large, straight timber. That's why it's not often used to make large pieces of furniture. The pieces of wood are generally small in size and are used for decorative and small interior objects, for bowls and kitchen utensils, shredders or elements of furniture construction.

Due to its low resistance to rotting it is not recommended for outdoor use. It can, however, be used indoors to make turned objects, handles for knives or more special tools, collectors' pens, art objects, decorative cladding or in combination with other species to make luxury furniture. Olive wood is considered special and therefore expensive.

Olive is also known for its therapeutic uses. Olive oil is considered a regulator of fat circulation in the body and is also used as a stimulator of the cardiovascular system.

I hope you find the above interesting. If you have any other information about olive wood, please leave it below in the space provided. They will be added to the article and we will have a very complete material, useful to all.