Olive is a dark yellowish-green color, like that of unripe or green olives. The tree’s beauty has been extolled for thousands of years. The edible olive was grown on the island of Crete about 3500 BCE. The olive tree ranges in height from 3 to 12 metres (10 to 40 feet) or more and has numerous branches. Its leaves, leathery and lance-shaped, are dark green above and silvery on the underside and are paired opposite each other on the twig. The olive fruit is classed botanically as a drupe, similar to the peach or plum. Within the stone are one or two seeds. Olives tend to have maximum oil content and greatest weight six to eight months after the blossoms appear. At that stage they are black and will continue to cling to the tree for several weeks.