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An incredible ‘magical’ tree has been popping up all over US which bear 40 different varieties of fruit. These tress look ordinary throughout most of the year but can simultaneously produce different varieties of peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries. With each tree featuring its own unique selection of stone fruit, in spring, they bloom into a stunning patchwork of colors.
They were created in an attempt to make people reconsider how food can be produced. The trees are the work of Syracuse University sculptor and artist Sam Van Aken. The project began in 2008 when Mr Van Aken discovered that a New York state orchard, which held varieties of stone fruit 200-years-old, was to be abandoned. The artist bought the orchard in hopes of saving it, and soon after started experimenting with something known as ‘chip grafting.’
The process involves taking a sliver off a tree, including the bud, and inserting that into a cut in the working tree. Mr Van Aken explained that most stone-fruits are easily compatible as the foreign tree part is then taped and left to heal over the winter.
He finally came up with is ‘The Tree of 40 Fruit’. It is in fact, not one tree, but a series of hybridised fruit plants. Mr Van Aken has created and placed 16 trees in museums, community centres so far and also private art collections around the U.S. As shown in Mr Van Aken’s CGI image, the trees blossom in shades of pink, crimson and white in spring and in summer, they bear a range of stone fruit.
Mr Van Aken said, ‘I’ve been told by people that have [a tree] at their home that it provides the perfect amount and perfect variety of fruit. So rather than having one variety that produces more than you know what to do with, it provides good amounts of each of the 40 varieties. Since all of these fruit ripen at different times, from July through October, you also aren’t inundated’.
They were created in an attempt to make people reconsider how food can be produced. The trees are the work of Syracuse University sculptor and artist Sam Van Aken. The project began in 2008 when Mr Van Aken discovered that a New York state orchard, which held varieties of stone fruit 200-years-old, was to be abandoned. The artist bought the orchard in hopes of saving it, and soon after started experimenting with something known as ‘chip grafting.’
The process involves taking a sliver off a tree, including the bud, and inserting that into a cut in the working tree. Mr Van Aken explained that most stone-fruits are easily compatible as the foreign tree part is then taped and left to heal over the winter.
He finally came up with is ‘The Tree of 40 Fruit’. It is in fact, not one tree, but a series of hybridised fruit plants. Mr Van Aken has created and placed 16 trees in museums, community centres so far and also private art collections around the U.S. As shown in Mr Van Aken’s CGI image, the trees blossom in shades of pink, crimson and white in spring and in summer, they bear a range of stone fruit.
Mr Van Aken said, ‘I’ve been told by people that have [a tree] at their home that it provides the perfect amount and perfect variety of fruit. So rather than having one variety that produces more than you know what to do with, it provides good amounts of each of the 40 varieties. Since all of these fruit ripen at different times, from July through October, you also aren’t inundated’.
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