Olive trees are known for the their longevity and uniqueness—each tree has its own shapes, twists, and character. Many olive trees in the Sparta region are over 500 years old, with several over 1,000 years old. It's amazing to consider what the trees have witnessed. They’ve seen and survived war, famine, earthquakes, fires and just about any other human or natural disaster.
The predominant olive varieties in the region are the Koroneiki, Athinolia, and the Koutsourolia. Kalamon (Kalamata) olives are also commonly found in the area, but are used primarily as table olives and are not usually pressed to yield oil.
Olive trees are quite hardy and can survive for long periods of time, as long as weather conditions do not reach freezing levels in the spring months when the first buds are developing.
Farmers regularly tend to the olive trees, including careful pruning and nourishment. Even as new technologies emerge, many of the same techniques used hundreds of years ago, such as pruning by hand, are still in place today.