Wood Atlas - Xylarium

Olive Tree

lat. Olea europaea

Olive Tree



Olive Tree (Olea europaea) The olive tree (Olea europaea) is an evergreen tree primarily at home in the Mediterranean region. It does not like climatic extremes and frost will cause permanent damage. It is less affected by extreme heat. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants on earth, thanks, of course, to the oil obtained from its fruits. The olive grows extremely slowly, only reaching 30 to 60 feet in height, and lives for centuries or even millennia.
The wood is dense, hard, and particularly gorgeous when taken from old overgrown and gnarled trees. I personally know no wood that needs longer to dry (because of its oil content). In fact, as the saying goes, olive wood is never done drying. However, it is also very cooperative and only tends to crack in the first years of drying (10 years or more, depending on the size of the wood cut). After a few years, even the wet end grain is no longer a problem in my experience.


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