In Genesis, the dove returned to Noah with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Genesis 8:11 says this happened after Noah sent the dove out a second time, showing that the floodwaters had receded enough for vegetation to reappear above the water.
The olive leaf is one of the most recognizable images in the Ark narrative. It signals more than the end of rain: it provides evidence that trees and habitable land were becoming available outside the vessel.
The sequence includes a raven first, followed by the dove. The dove initially returns because it finds no resting place, then comes back with the olive leaf, and later does not return when released again. These details establish a gradual search for dry land.
The olive branch later became a broad symbol of peace in many cultures. That later symbolism is related to, but not identical with, its immediate role in Genesis as evidence of receding waters.