According to Genesis, what did Noah see when the dove returned the second time?

According to Genesis, Noah saw an olive leaf when the dove returned to the Ark for the second time. The leaf showed that vegetation had reappeared above the receding floodwaters.

Genesis 8 describes Noah sending out a raven first and then a dove. The dove initially returned because it found no resting place, but on its second flight it came back with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah then waited and sent the dove out again; it did not return.

The olive branch later became a widely recognized symbol of peace, although that broader symbolism developed through later cultural and religious traditions. In the biblical story, the immediate purpose of the leaf is practical: it signals that the waters are going down.

The leaf is sometimes misremembered as a branch or as a different plant. Genesis specifically says an olive leaf.