In the Genesis flood narrative, what leaf did the dove bring back to Noah?

In the Genesis flood narrative, the dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf.

Genesis 8:11 says that the dove returned to the ark in the evening with an olive leaf in its beak. The detail showed Noah that the floodwaters had receded from the earth enough for vegetation to be accessible. It was a practical sign within the story, not merely decorative imagery.

The olive leaf later became widely recognized as a symbol of peace, reconciliation, and renewal. That broader symbolism developed across art, literature, and religious tradition, but the Genesis passage’s immediate point is evidence that the land was recovering.

The leaf is not described as a branch from another tree, and the story does not say that the dove found a full olive branch. The precise wording is a freshly plucked olive leaf, which is why that answer is more exact than “a branch.”