🌳 The living legend of Crete: The Planet's oldest fruit-bearing tree

In the Greek village of Ano Vouves on the island of Crete stands a unique olive tree, officially recognized as the oldest fruit-bearing tree in the world. This living natural monument attracts approximately 20,000 tourists from across the globe every year.

The scale of this ancient olive is truly impressive: the diameter of its trunk at the base measures 4.6 meters, while the span of its majestic canopy reaches 12.5 meters. Interestingly, this tree is the result of an ancient graft, where a cultivated variety was joined to a wild rootstock.

Determining the exact age of this "patriarch" is a difficult task even for modern science. Scientists admit that it is impossible to establish the exact date the sprout first appeared, as the heartwood of the trunk completely decayed several centuries ago. Nevertheless, the tree demonstrates an incredible will to live: new shoots constantly emerge from the old trunk, sustaining its vitality. According to expert estimates, just one of the "younger" branches is approximately 2,000 years old.

Throughout its long history, the Olive of Vouves has endured countless trials: devastating wildfires, destructive earthquakes, and powerful Mediterranean storms. Despite its venerable age and various natural disasters, the tree has not only survived but continues to yield a harvest every year.

Notably, the village of Ano Vouves is a true sanctuary for the long-livers of the plant world. In addition to the famous olive tree, the village carefully preserves a grapevine that has continued to bear fruit for more than four centuries.