In Genesis, what was the first land plant mentioned after Noah’s Flood?

In Genesis, the first land plant mentioned after Noah’s Flood was an olive leaf.

Genesis 8 says that Noah sent a dove from the ark, and the bird returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. This showed Noah that the waters had subsided from the earth enough for vegetation to be visible. The leaf was therefore a concrete sign that the landscape was recovering.

The passage does not say that an entire olive tree was the first plant to grow after the Flood. It says that the dove brought a leaf. That distinction matters because the question concerns the specific object reported in the text, not a botanical claim about global plant succession.

The olive branch later became a widespread symbol of peace, but that broader symbolism developed through subsequent cultural and religious use. In Genesis, its immediate narrative function is evidence for Noah. The dove’s return with the leaf is separate from the rainbow, which appears later as the sign of God’s covenant.