Plants

Tuesday, 13 October 2026
21 facts about olives
21 facts about olives
"Where the olive refuses to grow, there the Mediterranean world ends"
It is not known exactly when and where the first olive tree, characteristic of the Mediterranean region, grew. Paleobotanists claim that wild olives g ...

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Sycamore maple tree
The sycamore is one of the largest trees among the maples.
It is a tall, stately tree with a straight, thick, regular trunk and a broad, strongly arched crown. ...
Chestnuts
Chestnuts have been known to mankind for millennia, when they were a staple food in southern Europe, Turkey, and southwest Asia, largely replacing cereals where its cultivation was difficult.
Evidence of human cultivation of chestnuts dates back to around 2000 BC. Alexander the Great and the ...
Carob
This tree is native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. In these areas, especially in the eastern regions of the Mediterranean, it grows wild, while in the western areas it has integrated into the ecosystem there (naturalization).
The Carob is a typical tree of the Algavre region of southern Portugal, where it is called alfarrobe ...
Vanilla
Vanilla blooms every 2-3 years, and the flowering period lasts about 2-3 months.
The fruit is a green, pod-like seed bag.
Mandarines
There are wide varieties of crossbreeds with other citrus fruits.
Depending on the variety, the mandarin can grow as a shrub or a tree, reaching up to 8 meters.
Saguaro cactus
They can store a lot of water.
When fully hydrated they weigh around 2000 kg (4400 lb).
Mandarines
It is a rich source of soluble fiber.
Eating mandarines provides a more prolonged feeling of satiety and positively reduces "bad" cholesterol (LDL), lowering the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Saguaro cactus
Fruits are ruby red and big.
Their size may vary from 6 to 9 cm (2,5 to 3,5 in) and ripe in June. As they grow really high, special pole is used to harvest them.
Citron
From ancient times to the Middle Ages, citron was used in folk medicine to combat seasickness, scurvy and other disorders.
The essential oil of the flavedo (the outermost, colored layer of the peel) was considered an antibi ...
Sweet potato
They are starchy vegetables, like potatoes, but are not related to potatoes.
Potatoes belong to the Solanaceae and are related to the tomato, bell pepper, or eggplant.