From your trip to the years of the Revolution, the place and nature of Morias could not be missing. The trees of the Peloponnese, these age-old silent witnesses, have many stories to tell.
The mother olive of the Koroneiki variety in Kalamata, the palm tree planted by Kapodistrias in Nafplio, the historic plane tree in Agios Floros, witness to the battles with the army of Ibrahim Pasha, are just some of them. Olives, oaks, mulberries, plane trees, a total of 27 centuries-old trees have been studied, photographed and recorded in collaboration with the University of Peloponnese, the Center for Environmental Education of Kalamata and the Agricultural University of Athens.
As part of the “Morias 21” celebrations for the 200 years since the beginning of the struggle for independence, “The trees of the Revolution” have a special mark and have been integrated in the 21 special routes of the program. You will see them standing arrogantly in front of you, former silent witnesses, today protagonists who unite the glorious moments of the history of Greece with today. Τhe Olayan Group supports the initiative in partnership with Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation and TEMES.
Finally, the Panhellenic Student Competition “The Trees Speak” invites students to create their own works of art! Click Here to view more.
Species: Quercus pubescens (downy oak)
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The downy oak is common throughout central and southern Europe, and in Greece is found almost everywhere. It is one of the most adaptable of the 11 species of oak growing in Greece.
Species: Olea europaea
Subspecies: Olea europaea var. europaea
Age: ≈ 850 – 2000 years
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 121/D/1980)
Details: The species originates from the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and is naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin. This particular tree is considered to be the ‘mother’ of the celebrated Kalamata olive.
Plane tree at Monastery of Agia Lavra
Species: Platanus orientalis
Dimensions: height 35 m
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 656/B/1986)
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Species: Quercus coccifera
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 121/D/1980)
Details: The kermes oak is an evergreen shrub, more rarely a tree, which is widespread throughout Greece. It is particularly tolerant to grazing and has often been described as the most important forest species on account of its many benefits.
Species: Platanus orientalis
Age: 400 years
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 589/B/1985)
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Species: Platanus orientalis
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 121/D/1980)
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Centuries-Old Olive Trees in Vasilada
Species: Olea europaea
Subspecies: Olea europaea var. europaea
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The species originates from the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and is naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin.
The Seven Cypresses
Species: Cupressus sempervirens
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The native range of the Mediterranean cypress is most probably from Crete and eastward. However, it appears that many cypress trees had been planted throughout Greece from as early as ancient times.
Chaste tree
Species: Vitex agnus-castus (chaste tree)
Dimensions: girth 150 cm / diameter 47.7 cm
Age: ≈ 400 years
Details: The species usually grows in creek beds throughout the Mediterranean basin. It is in fact a deciduous shrub that rarely takes the form of a tree, with a height of up to 6 m.
“The Plane of Arkadia”
Species: Platanus orientalis
Dimensions: diameter 1 m
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Plane tree at Magouliana
Species: Platanus orientalis
Dimensions: girth 6.4 m / diameter 2.04 m / height 20 m
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Olive trees at Molaoi
Species: Olea europaea
Subspecies: Olea europaea var. europaea
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The species originates from the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and is naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Plane tree at Monastery of Saint Vlassios
Species: Platanus orientalis
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Juniper forest
Genus: Juniperus
Size: 183 acres
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 121/D/1980)
European ecological network ‘Natura 2000’
In terms of its botanical importance in Europe, the 183-acre juniper forest is considered to be invaluable. Unsurprisingly, this unique habitat has been included in the European ecological network ‘Natura 2000’.
Species: Olea europaea
Subspecies: Olea europaea var. europaea
Dimensions: height 15 m / girth ≈ 3 m
Age: > 360 years
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 590/B/1977)
Details: The species originates from the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and is naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Species: Phoenix dactylifera (date palm)
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 590/B/1977)
Details: More correctly, this is not a palm tree but a date palm. The species has been cultivated since ancient times, so its native range is not precisely known, although it was probably between Egypt and Mesopotamia. The species has been known in Greece since as early as Minoan times.
Species: Quercus frainetto
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 121/D/1980)
Details: The Hungarian Oak or Italian Oak is one of the most widespread and important oak species in Greece.
Species: Quercus ilex
Age: ≥ 430 years
Details: Species of evergreen oak widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Species: Olea europaea
Subspecies: Olea europaea var. europaea
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The species originates from the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and is naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Plane tree at Arna
Species: Platanus orientalis
Dimensions: girth 11.92 m / crown diameter 30 m
Age: Centuries-old
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 178/T.A.A.P./2014)
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Plane tree at Kerastaris
Species: Platanus orientalis
Dimensions: trunk girth 8 m
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
Papaflessas’ mulberry
Species: Morus
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The species found in Greece originate from Asia. However, the mulberry had been planted across the Peloponnese since ancient times and it is even likely that “Morias”, the old name for the Peloponnese, derives from the Greek word for the tree.
Sycamore maple
Species: genus Acer
Dimensions: girth 7.4 m
Age: ≥ 3000 years
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 121/D/1980)
Silver linden
Species: Tilia tomentosa
Age: Centuries-old
Lelonis’ oak
Species: Hybrid of the species Quercus pubescens (downy oak), of the subspecies Quercus ithaburensis subsp. Macrolepis.
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The downy oak is common throughout central and southern Europe, and in Greece is found almost everywhere. This subspecies has a limited occurrence in the East Mediterranean (from Italy to Syria) and in ancient times was the sacred tree of Zeus.
Plane trees
Species: Platanus orientalis
Age: Centuries-old
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastward as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC.
The Plane Tree of Nafplio
Species: Platanus orientalis
Dimensions: diameter just over 1 m
Age: > 200 years
Protected Monument of Nature (Government Gazette 590/B/1977)
Details: The native range of the species is from Italy eastwards as far as Iran. But it most likely originated east of the Balkans and appears to have arrived in Greece around 1000 BC, where it was able to adapt.
