Gray green olive branch

Green · Oleaceae

Olive branch

Olea europaea

Also known as Olive

Silvery gray-green sprigs traditionally associated with peace, victory, and friendship.

Colour: Gray green

Traditionally, peace and friendship.

Use in a bouquet All flowers
Peak season
Year-round
Vase life
7–14 days
Birth month
—
Colours
2

What the olive branch means

The olive branch has been an emblem of peace since antiquity: in the Hebrew Bible a dove returns to Noah's ark carrying an olive leaf as a sign that the flood was receding, and in ancient Greece olive wreaths crowned winners at the Olympic Games. Athena was said to have won Athens by giving its people the first olive tree. Today, extending an olive branch means offering peace, and olive branches frame the emblem of the United Nations. In bouquets it is often given for peace, friendship, and good wishes.

Flower meanings come mostly from Victorian floriography, and they vary between books, eras, and cultures.

Often sent for

  • Sympathy
  • Thank you
  • Anniversary
  • Just because

By colour

  • Gray green Traditionally, peace and friendship.
  • Silver green Associated with victory and good wishes.

Keeping it fresh

Available year-round from growers; branches with fruit appear in fall.

  1. 1 Recut the woody stems at a sharp angle and split the base to help them drink.
  2. 2 Strip leaves below the waterline and change the water every few days.
  3. 3 Olive dries well; let stems air-dry in an empty vase for a lasting arrangement.

Pet safety

  • cats Not listed
  • dogs Not listed
  • horses Not listed

Not listed in the ASPCA plant database. If a pet eats any, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.

“Not listed” means the ASPCA has no entry for this plant — not that it is safe. Keep it out of reach.

Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants. If a pet eats any plant, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.

Did you know

Olive trees are famously long-lived; several around the Mediterranean are estimated to be more than 2,000 years old.

Pairs well with

Make your own olive branch bouquet

Pick a vase, add a card, and share the link — no delivery van, no wilting.

Open Flower Studio