A years-long effort to save one of Montenegro's oldest olive trees, believed by locals to be millennia old, is finally bearing fruit. The tree in the coastal town of Bar was successfully harvested in October 2025 for the first time in four seasons, following urgent restorative work that began after its health declined rapidly in 2022.
Revival of a Millennia-Old Symbol
Marija Markoc, executive director of the House of Olives, the public company tasked with maintaining the tree, told AFP that the tree is thought to have been brought by ancient Greeks. The House of Olives was established by the local government as part of a concerted effort to save the tree. In early July 2025, little green fruit once again tipped the tree's gnarled branches, a positive sign for future harvests from the tree, which is closely tied to the small community of Mirovica.
“They identify with how much it has managed to overcome, and with the fact that it is once again bearing fruit and surviving,” Markoc said.
Age and Historical Significance
Olive trees dot the surroundings of Bar, with several said to date back thousands of years. Laboratory testing of trees in the region conducted in 2015 placed Mirovica's tree at 2,250 years — though that was not even the oldest. That age would put it among some of the oldest living olive trees in the world, but the species is notoriously difficult to date. A 2024 study of trees in Lebanon found that one roughly double the size of Mirovica's could be at least 1,000 years old, but most tree samples tested were between 500 and 600 years old.
For locals, the folklore surrounding the tree's historic roots has made it a symbol of Mirovica, whose name derives from the Montenegrin word for peace, owing to its role as a meeting place between warring clans. “It has seen a great deal, it has seen various reconciliations, and it has seen the suppression of blood feuds,” Markoc said.
Threats and Restoration Efforts
When the tree fell into poor health, researchers discovered that excessive groundwater, believed to stem from urbanization, was threatening its future. This led to years of work to improve drainage at the site. Since the works, Markoc said the tree's condition has noticeably improved, and the 2024 harvest already produced oil. Now blooming again, it draws large crowds of cruise ship passengers and tourists, with 40,000 visitors in 2024, according to the House of Olives annual report.
“We have managed to revive this area and give this tree a long-lasting life,” Markoc said. “It is a great honor. It is wonderful to work with it and to take care of it, but believe me, it is also an enormous, enormous responsibility.”
