BiodiversityFood ForestsTrees

The Tree of 40 Fruit

In trying to find different varieties of stone fruit to create the Tree of 40 Fruit, I realized that for various reasons, including industrialization and the creation of enormous monocultures, we are losing diversity in food production and that heirloom, antique, and native varieties that were less commercially viable were disappearing. I saw this as an opportunity to, in some way, preserve these varieties. In addition to maintaining these varieties in my nursery, I graft them to the Tree of 40 Fruit. Additionally, when I place a Tree of 40 Fruit, I go to local farmers and growers to collect stone fruit varieties and graft them to the trees. In this way they become an archive of the agricultural history of where they are located as well as a means to preserve antique and native varieties.

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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.

Personally, I give away most of the fruit that comes from my trees. For people who aren’t aware of farming and growing, the diversity of these varieties and their characteristic tastes are surprising and they ultimately begin to question why there are only a few types of plums, one type of apricot, and a handful of peach varieties at their local market.

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I would like to continue to place these trees throughout the country preserving these heirloom, antique, and native fruit varieties. Wherever I place them there is a sense of wonderment that they create through their blossoms, the different fruit, and the process by which they are created. — epicurious

7 Comments

  1. I agree with where you’re going. I had a lime grafted onto a lemon in my front garden and after 18-months, the result was 6-lemons, zero limes, yet I had in the same garden a lemon tree that produced literally hundreds of lemons every year. I had to take it down for a driveway and the grafted one was a fruit replavement, I’ve now had to remove it as a waste of space

  2. OK so how can one get these trees to plant to add bio diversity in my part of the world.. I am near chattanooga.

  3. Your exploration, experiment and discovery is most interesting and productive… One Tree, Forty Fruits ( 1 Tree, 40 Fruits)… What is mentioned as the Tree of Life in Ezekiel and John’s Revelation “bears fruit, 12 times a year, one kind each month and the leaves are for the healing of the nations…” What we have learned from our indigenous people, the Aetas of the Philippines is that they could make every tree, any tree bear fruits with vine vegetables with the V5: Venture in Variety of Vertical Vine Veggies… turnips, winged beans, string beans, flat beans, broad beans, sweet gourd, long gourd, winter melon, squash, cucumber, passion fruit, purple yam and other varieties of beans… by simply making the tree as the Trellis… we are popularizing this practical technology and grow veggies all-year round… Any shrub, bush, tree we can make them bear vertical vine veggies and fruits….for food, health and livelihood…

  4. I am trying to improve my yard appearance and would love to have one of these trees as all of my grandchildren love fruit and this way I could provide them with a variety and have a beautiful tree to enjoy for myself

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