1 – Apples originated in Central Asia
2 – Only crab apples are indigenous to North America.
3 – The apples we love to munch to keep those doctors at bay were brought to North America by colonists in the 17th century.
4 – The very first apple orchard in North America was planted in Boston by Reverend William Blaxton in 1625
5 – There are more than 7500 known cultivars of apples and over 2500 are grown in North America but only 100 are grown commercially and typically a mere dozen or so are frequent fliers to our grocery stores. If you have a chance to buy from a small farm gate operation in orchard country put on the brakes, pull in and prepare for a culinary sensation!
6 – The average person in North America eats 65 apples a year
7 – An average apple tree will produce 840 pounds of apples; enough to fill 20 standard size apple boxes.
8 – The largest apple ever harvested weighed 1.4 kilograms (three pounds)
9 – It takes just under one kilogram (two pounds) of apples to make one 23 centimeter (nine-inch) apple pie
10 – Two thirds of the fiber and many of the antioxidants are in the apple’s peel
11 – It takes the nutrients collected by ten leaves to produce one apple
12 – Apples are a member of the rose family
The Holistic Orchard is a great book for people interested in growing a few fruit trees and berry bushes in their backyard.
Garden Trivia 