LEBANON CEDAR COMMON NAMES: LEBANESE CEDAR, CEDAR OF LEBANON GENUS: CEDRUS SPECIES: LIBANI

OLIVE TREE GENUS: OLEA SPECIES: EUROPAEA PARTS USED: THE FRUIT

The Lebanon cedar is originally from Asia Minor. It is native to Lebanon, Syria and southern Turkey. It can be found in the Jebel Alaonite Mountains in Syria and Lebanon, and the Taurus Mountains of Syria and southern Turkey. Rare in Lebanon, only 5000-7000 acres (2000-3000 ha) of forest remain in small patches across the country. However, it is still plentiful in Turkey. There are only three species of Cedars in the world: the Lebanon cedar, the Deodar of the Himalayas and the Mount Atlas Cedar

The olive tree is the oldest known cultivated tree in history. Olives were first cultivated in Africa, and then spread to Morocco, Algiers, and Tunisia by the Phoenicians. Olea europaea was first cultivated in Crete and Syria over 5000 years ago. Around 600 BC olive tree cultivation spread to Greece, Italy and other Mediterranean countries.