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Olive trees can live for 4,000 years: What's their secret?

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 719 words · By Ema Gil Pires
Portuguese Natural Heritage Scientific Dating Methods Botanical Longevity
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What to know about Portuguese Natural Heritage

How Portugal's University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro works out the age of hundreds of ancient olive trees.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

How Portugal's University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro works out the age of hundreds of ancient olive trees.

Why it matters

A tree was recently discovered in Germany which may be the oldest known in the country, at around 1,100 years old.

Common ground

But in Portugal there are hundreds of trees estimated to be at least 2,000 years old, particularly olive trees, which over the years have been certified by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) The tree known as 'Oliveira do Mouchão', found…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/17/portugal-is-home-to-hundreds-of-ancient-oliv…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 4
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info Single Source 1
verified Verified 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “The tree known as 'Oliveira do Mouchão', found in the municipality of Abrantes, is thought to be the oldest in the country at 3,350 years old.”
CORROBORATED
The existence of 'Oliveira do Mouchão' in Abrantes and its estimated age of 3,350 years is confirmed by TikTok (local reporting), Prehistoric Portugal, and Euronews/The Portugal News references.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Olive trees can live for over 1,000 years. Some trees around the Mediterranean basin are claimed to be far older, including those listed here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_olive_trees
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Definitions of longevity vary between clonal trees, ones where parts of the tree continue to live after the death of the first trunk or trunks, and non-clonal trees. Tree ages are derived from a varie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Olive Tree of Mouchão (Portuguese: Oliveira do Mouchão) is a tree of the species Olea europaea, considered a Tree of Public Interest since 2007. It is located in the parish of Mouriscas, a municip…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_Tree_of_Mouchão
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 2: “'Oliveira do Peso', as it is known, also contested the title of Portuguese Tree of the Year 2024, a national competition in which it came third”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the 'Oliveira do Peso' participating in the 2024 Portuguese Tree of the Year competition or finishing third.
info
Claim 3: “It is in the Alentejo, more precisely on the Herdade do Peso estate, in Vidigueira, in the district of Beja, and is thought to be more than 3,700 years old, according to the assessment made in 2021.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the provided 'Evidence gathered' section says 'No evidence found', the web search results for Claim 1 and Claim 2 actually mention 'Oliveira do Peso' in Alentejo as being roughly 3,700 years old. However, the specific details about 'Herdade do Peso' and the 2021 assessment date are not explicitly corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided text snippets.
schedule
Claim 4: “Other examples highlighted by the university are in Monsaraz, in the district of Évora, where there are several millennial olive trees, one of which is around 2,450 years old.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “a group of olive trees whose combined ages exceed 7,000 years”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 6: “It was also one of the candidates in the 2022 European Tree of the Year contest, finishing fifth in the national competition.”
CORROBORATED
Euronews and The Times of India specifically state that the Oliveira do Mouchão finished fifth in the Portuguese national round of the 2022 European Tree of the Year contest.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Olive trees can live for over 1,000 years. Some trees around the Mediterranean basin are claimed to be far older, including those listed here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_olive_trees
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Definitions of longevity vary between clonal trees, ones where parts of the tree continue to live after the death of the first trunk or trunks, and non-clonal trees. Tree ages are derived from a varie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The cultivated olive (botanical name Olea europaea subsp. europaea) is a subspecies of subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Modern cultivars are traced primarily to the Near East, Aegean…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 7: “It is based on a mathematical model that relates a tree's age to characteristics of its trunk, such as diameter, height or circumference”
VERIFIED
The Times of India provides specific details that the patented mathematical model estimates age from physical traits of the trunk, including diameter and height, rather than counting rings.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 31, 2026 · Information about Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages, including recent updates, related forms, and instructions on how to file. Form 8919 is used by certai…
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8919
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The age of the Mouchão tree, and of many others like it, was found out using a patented mathematical model built by UTAD researchers. Rather than counting rings, the method estimates age from the trun…
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/during-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Loomis method is a practical approach to drawing faces! It's a step-by-step technique for drawing creating realistic portraits. It's making drawing faces easier for artists of all levels. These ar…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfVbF64klLU
schedule
Claim 8: “Abroad, the university says it has also been invited to date olive trees in countries such as Spain and France, notably in Bordeaux, Girona, Málaga and on the island of Menorca, where it has certified the existence of a tree more than 2,300 years old.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 9: “A tree was recently discovered in Germany which may be the oldest known in the country, at around 1,100 years old.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence consists of general Wikipedia entries about Germany and Nazi Germany, but contains no information regarding a recently discovered 1,100-year-old tree.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Western and Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north with the Alps to the south. Its 16 consti…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nazi Germany, officially the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It was sometimes known…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germany
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Claim 10: “But in Portugal there are hundreds of trees estimated to be at least 2,000 years old, particularly olive trees, which over the years have been certified by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD)”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Portugal News, Euronews, Times of India) confirm that Portugal has hundreds of ancient olive trees, some over 2,000 years old, and that UTAD has been involved in their certification.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Botanical Garden of University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (Portuguese: Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro) is a botanical garden established in 1988. It is locate…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanical_Garden_of_the_Univer…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˌtɾaz uʒ ˈmõtɨz i ˈaltu ˈðoɾu]) is a historical province of Portugal located in the northeastern corner of the country, known for its scenery, w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trás-os-Montes_e_Alto_Douro_Pr…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD; Portuguese: Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro) is a public university located in the north-eastern city of Vila Real, Portugal. It beca…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Trás-os-Montes_a…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 11: “Oliveiras Milenares, which has been working with UTAD on this certification mission since 2007”
CORROBORATED
Euronews, The Times of India, and other web results confirm that Oliveiras Milenares has been working with UTAD on this certification mission since 2007.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — But on the website of the company Oliveiras Milenares, (source in Portuguese) which has been working with UTAD on this certification mission since 2007, it is stated that another olive tree has since …
https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/17/portugal-is-home-to-hund…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Using this approach, and working alongside the company Oliveiras Milenares since 2007, UTAD has gone on to certify dozens of other ancient olive trees around Portugal, including one in Santa Iria de A…
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/during-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Beginning in 2007, UTAD researchers and Oliveiras Milenares developed a non-destructive method designed specifically for old, hollow trees.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/portugal-370…
schedule
Claim 12: “José Luís Louzada, a researcher at UTAD who developed the dating method”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 13: “The 3,350 year estimate was obtained using a method developed by UTAD researchers, already patented”
CORROBORATED
Both Euronews and The Portugal News explicitly state that UTAD researchers developed and patented a method for calculating the age of these trees.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The estimate was obtained using a method developed by a team of UTAD researchers, which has already been patented, applied as part of a collaboration with the company Oliveiras Milenares and which has…
https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/17/portugal-is-home-to-hund…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — UTAD researchers calculated the age using a method they developed and patented.It is not the only ancient tree on the estate. The area is home to a group of old olive trees whose combined ages are est…
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2026-08-17/portugal-is-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — favorite method for achieving orgasm.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0092623X.2017.13…
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Claim 14: “Another noteworthy example is in Santa Iria de Azóia, in the municipality of Loures: a tree whose age was calculated at around 2,850 years at the time of analysis.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is confirmed by Wikipedia (List of oldest trees), Euronews, and other web results, all citing an olive tree in Santa Iria de Azóia, Loures, aged approximately 2,850 years.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Clube de Futebol de Santa Iria is a Portuguese sports club from Santa Iria de Azoia, Loures. The men's football team competes in the Pró-Nacional AF Lisboa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.F._Santa_Iria
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Loures (locally [ˈloɾɨʃ] ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal which is part of the District and Metropolitan area of Lisbon. It is the fifth most populous municipality in the country, with a tot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loures
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Santa Iria de Azoia is a town and former freguesia (civil parish) in the municipality of Loures, Portugal. Since 2013, it is part of the freguesia Santa Iria de Azoia, São João da Talha e Bobadela. It…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Iria_de_Azoia
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.