What leaf did Noah’s returning dove carry in the Genesis Flood story?

In the Genesis Flood story, Noah’s returning dove carried an olive leaf. The leaf showed Noah that the floodwaters had receded enough for vegetation to appear above the water.

Genesis says Noah waited seven days before sending the dove again. On its second flight, the dove returned in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah then waited another seven days and released it once more; it did not return, suggesting that the bird had found suitable land.

The olive branch later became a widely recognized symbol of peace, although its symbolic meanings developed across several ancient and later cultures. In the Flood narrative, its immediate function is practical: it is evidence that the land is re-emerging and plants are growing.

The story specifically identifies an olive leaf, not a generic branch or another Mediterranean plant. This detail is frequently combined with the rainbow, which appears later in the same narrative as a sign of the covenant.