The oleaster is a small Eurasian tree with oblong silvery leaves, greenish flowers, and olive-like fruit. There is some question about which tree is mentioned in 1 Kings 6:23, 31–33 and 1 Chronicles 27:28 when they refer to "olive wood" and "olive trees." The same Hebrew word appears in Isaiah 41:19 and Micah 6:7. The plant in question is probably the oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia). It grows from 4.6 to 6.1 meters (15 to 20 feet) tall. It is common in all parts of Israel and the surrounding areas, except in the Jordan Valley.
At one time, the oleaster was especially common on Mount Tabor and in the areas of Hebron and Samaria. The wood is hard and fine-grained, making it well suited for carving images and figures. The oil that comes from this tree is rather low quality. People use it for medicine but not for food. This may be the oil mentioned in Micah 6:7.