Newsner: There are so many different types of plants in our world that it can be difficult to keep track of them all.
Each plant and its fruit have particular characteristics and require different conditions, which is amazing in itself.
But wouldn't it be cool if one tree could produce several kinds of delicious fruits—at the same time?
An artist named Sam Van Aken wondered just that and came up with an idea to create a tree that could produce 40 different kinds of fruit.
And after many years of work, he reached his goal.
By using the technique of grafting, studio arts professor Sam Van Aken managed to create a tree that bears over 40 different types of fruit.
Van Aken worked on the tree for many years. He cut numerous buds and branches and grafted them onto his stock tree.
The tree, known as a "tree of 40 fruit" grows everything from peaches and nectarines, to apricots, cherries, and almonds.
Van Aken learned all about trees and how to care for them while growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania.
Over the years, Van Aken has received help from many other growers, even if some of them don't understand why he would want to grow a tree that can produce 40 kinds of fruit.
The tree's fruit ripens at different times, which means Van Aken has to return to it several times to harvest its fruit.
Van Aken doesn't see the project as practical, but as an art project.
As of 2014, he had planted 16 trees of 40 fruit around the US.
Fuente: en.newsner.com
