Olive orchard in the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain (© cinoby/Getty Images)

Ancient yet vibrant, twisted yet resilient, olive trees can live for over a thousand years. Even when scarred or hollowed, their trunks still send out fresh leaves each season—a living record of survival through drought, wind and fire. Cultivated by humans for a millennia, olives have carried both practical and symbolic weight through the ages: their oil was pressed for anointing, medicine and daily sustenance; crowns of their leaves graced Olympic victors; and their branches became a lasting emblem of peace.