Olive trees are found throughout Africa, the Mediterranean region, the Arabian Peninsula and southern Asia, and there are a wide variety of types of trees all throughout those areas in addition to areas where they are cultivated by farmers. Of course, a geographic range that diverse means that there are all kinds of varieties of trees. There are six different subspecies of olive trees and hundreds of different cultivars (subtypes of the trees) in total.
My Olive Tree completes its mission with three different types of olive trees that you can choose to sponsor. These types are as follows:
- Syrian olive trees. Syrian olive trees are extremely popular in Israel, particularly because the oil that is produced from these olives is rich in anti-oxidants and has a wonderful aroma and taste. This one of the oldest types of olive trees that you'll find in Israel, dating back thousands of years. In fact, you'll find Syrian olive trees in the famous Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, which has individual olive trees that are between 1700 and 2000 years old! The tree takes its name from the city of Zor, which is believed to be where this specific olive tree variety originated.
- Coratina olive trees. These olives are Italian in origin and are usually among the earliest varieties of olive trees to see their fruits ripen. Harveset time for a Coratina olive tree usually takes place in October, and the olives are most often picked while still green, resulting in a “grassy” aroma. These olive trees undergo both intensive and super intensive plantation, making them a versatile choice for olive grove owners.
- Fishulin olive trees. Olive trees have been naturalized in France for quite some time now, and Fishulin olive trees are one of the few varieties with origins from France. The fruit of a Fishulin olive tree ripens quite a bit later than most other varieties, with harvests most often occurring in December. It has a larger fruit than most other olive varieties that tastes slightly more bitter. Those who regularly consume olive oil or prefer a strong taste to their olives tend to opt for Fishulin olives.
