One of the oldest olive trees in the world
, by Apostolos Magkoulias, 1 min reading time
, by Apostolos Magkoulias, 1 min reading time
One of the oldest olive trees in the world
In Crete, there are several perennial olive trees, whose age is over 1000 years old, a proof of the long-standing occupation of the inhabitants with its cultivation.
A typical example is an olive tree located in the village of Vouves, 30 km west of Chania, which has the reputation of the oldest olive tree all over the world. Due to its old age, it can not be accurately dated, but the evidence that exists leads the scientists to conclude that its age varies between 2000 and 4000 years. This olive tree has a trunk circumference of 12.5 meters, a diameter of almost 4 meters and has as its base a wild olive tree that was grafted with the variety of mouratolias (“tsounati”) many years ago.
Every year hundreds of Greek and foreign visitors go to the village of Vouves to admire one of the most beautiful sculptures of nature, the trunk of this olive tree. Due to the aesthetic, ecological and historical interest of this tree, it was proclaimed as a natural monument in 1997 and it is preferred to use its branches to crown the winners of the Olympic Games. Also, near the popular olive tree there is the Museum of the Olive Tree of the Vouves, which aims at the highlighting of the Cretan tradition in olive cultivation.