Olive

I love the craggy trunk on this old tree. Or young tree. Since olives have been cultivated for thousands of years, this one is still just a baby, although it is older than most of the ones I have seen. Of course people eat the olives. But the oil has been burned for light and it was massaged into the skin long before moisturizers were available. 

This tree can be considered sacred because it is a part of many religious traditions. In Greek mythology, it was a gift from Athena, and considered the greatest gift to humankind. Although some may think the grape deserves that credit. Muslims used to wood to make prayer beads. Of course, in the bible, there is the story of the dove bringing the olive branch to Noah to let him know that the floods were subsiding. 

Seems like the olive has always been a symbol of peace.