History:
This dwarf fruitless olive was introduced by Monrovia in 1987. Its ancestor is Olea europea, the fruiting olive of the Mediterranean which descended in antiquity from a scrubby wild olive known in the Holy Land. This Oleaster angustifolia contributes the shorter stature to the contemporary plants. The olive was first planted into Southern California by the mission padres and have contributed to the early landscape character of that region.
Lore:
A symbol of peace and prosperity, the olive has a long history in the western world, beginning with the ancient Greeks, who named their city Athens after the goddess Athena gave them the olive tree.