Tree Grows 40 Kinds Of Fruit At The Same Time
- 10 years ago
Sam Van Aken, an award-winning artists and educator, has created a tree that bears 40 different kinds of stone fruit.
We all just assume one tree can grow only one type of fruit.
Sam Van Aken, an award-winning artist and educator, has created a tree that bears 40 different kinds of stone fruit.
Many of those included are heirloom varieties and would have likely vanished from Earth had he not taken on his extraordinary tree-making project.
How did he do it?
It started when he heard about an orchard in upstate New York that was being shut down due to a lack of funding.
Van Aken bought the land and got to work.
His first step was to review the more than 250 varieties found in the orchard and log their various blooming schedules.
He then selected a few and began to graft them onto a living tree root.
After that tree reached its second year, he went back to selecting and splicing, undertaking an endeavor called chip grafting.
The buds of numerous trees were placed into the branches of the one.
Five years and a lot of chip grafts later, Van Aken had grown his first successful ‘Tree of 40 Fruit’.
He’s since made several more, which have gone to museums, public centers, and private collectors.
Some appreciate it for its beauty, while others are thrilled by the variety it bears.
We all just assume one tree can grow only one type of fruit.
Sam Van Aken, an award-winning artist and educator, has created a tree that bears 40 different kinds of stone fruit.
Many of those included are heirloom varieties and would have likely vanished from Earth had he not taken on his extraordinary tree-making project.
How did he do it?
It started when he heard about an orchard in upstate New York that was being shut down due to a lack of funding.
Van Aken bought the land and got to work.
His first step was to review the more than 250 varieties found in the orchard and log their various blooming schedules.
He then selected a few and began to graft them onto a living tree root.
After that tree reached its second year, he went back to selecting and splicing, undertaking an endeavor called chip grafting.
The buds of numerous trees were placed into the branches of the one.
Five years and a lot of chip grafts later, Van Aken had grown his first successful ‘Tree of 40 Fruit’.
He’s since made several more, which have gone to museums, public centers, and private collectors.
Some appreciate it for its beauty, while others are thrilled by the variety it bears.